Test Subject
by Tygerwulfe
Summary: Set mid S4 AU. BuffySpike centric, but includes other characters. SPUFFY FLUFFYNESS! TENTH CHAPTER NOW UP! FINISHED! REVIEW! PLEASE!
1. Mr Big Bad is ticklish

Title: Test Subject  
  
Author: Tigerwolf  
  
Timeline: Sometime in S4, I guess. Before they let Spike start roaming around without being tied to something.  
  
Summary: Inspired by something James Marsters said in an online interview. Buffy, left alone to watch a tied up Spike, decides to play with him a bit. And yes, I have a tickling fetish. I know. =) But it's fun!   
  
Author's Notes: Don't worry, Tequila Sunrise and I are still working on our new fic, Ohana: No One Gets Left Behind. The first two chapters should be up this friday. This is just something that I did at 12:36 in the morning when I couldn't sleep. (Does Vanilla Coke keep anyone else up this late?)  
  
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"Buffy!", Giles called into the kitchen of his house. "I have to go out for awhile, something's come up and I may not be back for a few hours. Will you be alright here?"  
  
Buffy came out of the kitchen, munching on a cheese stick. "Yeah." She grinned at her Watcher. "Olivia's in town, isn't she?"  
  
Giles almost blushed. Almost. "Well, yes. But that's not-"  
  
Buffy plopped on his couch. "Don't worry, Giles. I won't tell anyone that you have a date. I like Olivia."  
  
Giles gave a relieved nod, then, "Are you sure that you'll be alright here? I can ask Willow or Xander to come over and help you."  
  
Buffy glanced at the subject of Giles' worries: Spike, tied to a chair in the corner of the room. "Naw. I can handle one annoying, neutered vampire, Giles. If he bothers me, I'll just stake him."  
  
Giles gave a laugh, but then said seriously, "Buffy, you know you can't stake him. We may still need his knowledge of the Initiative."  
  
Buffy exadurated a sigh. "Oh.. Okay. I'll just... stuff something in his mouth if he talks too much."  
  
The Watcher chuckled. "Alright, then. Oh, and make sure to feed him if I'm gone past ten tonight. He's easier to deal with if he eats once every twelve hours or so."  
  
Buffy nodded and waved as Giles left, locking the door behind him. She turned around, looking at Spike, who seemed either asleep, or bored. Sometimes, it was hard to tell. "If you bother me, I'm gonna stuff one of Giles' workout socks in your mouth."  
  
Spike glanced up. Ok. So bored, not asleep. He sneered at her, and almost stuck his tongue out, but stopped himself in time. Just because he was forced to hang out with alot of infantile teenagers, didn't mean he should start acting like one.  
  
Buffy gave a 'humph', and turned around, grabbing the remote and flipping the TV on. Oh! The Price Is Right! This would occupy her for an hour....  
  
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Two hours later, Buffy was bored. There was nothing on TV, and she'd already raided Giles' kitchen, and looked at all his shiny weapons, AND beat the crap out of his punching bag. Twice. She paced back and forth in the living room, trying to decide what to do.  
  
Spike's head went back and forth, back and forth, watching the Slayer pace. He'd had just about enough. It was like watching tennis, and just about as exciting. Finally, he had to say something. "Slayer. Quit your bloody pacing, already. The Watcher won't be happy to come home to a hole in the floor."  
  
Buffy gave him a look. The 'Shut Up Spike', look. He knew that look, and decided to study the weapons on the wall for awhile. Gave a deep sigh. "You know," he continued after a moment. "I'm bored, too. And you don't see me pacing 'round the room."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "You're tied to a chair, moron. What are you going to do? Hop back and forth?"  
  
He snorted at her. "Anything is better than watching you pace. I happen to be trapped here, thank you very much, and can't even turn around, so why don't YOU leave ME alone?"  
  
She walked right up to him and glared down at him. "Shut up. I'm not bothering you. You started talking first. So shut up." She turned and walked back to the couch, flopping down on it again with a sigh.  
  
Spike couldn't help himself. "Or what?"  
  
"I already told you. I'm gonna shove a workout sock in your mouth." She lay there, on her back, trying to figure out something, ANYTHING to do. Then an idea hit her. "What did they do to you when you were at the Initiative?"  
  
He said nothing, so she rolled over, got up on her knees, and looked at him over the back of the couch. "You're allowed to talk when I start the conversation, you know."  
  
He glanced up at her from where he'd apparently been studying his jeans. "Fine. NOW you want me to talk."  
  
She sighed, and made a motion that encompased the whole room. "There's nothing else to do. Besides. Maybe you'll say something useful."  
  
"You really want to know?"  
  
"Yeah. Start at the beginning."  
  
He gave a half chuckle. "They grabbed me. I woke up in a white cell/cage. The shoved the chip in my brain, and did experiments like making me run on a treadmill while vamped and then again without the fangs. All sorts of stuff like that. Barely fed me anything the whole time."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"More of the same."  
  
She sighed. She'd hoped this would have been slightly more interesting. Then she got another idea. Got up, went in the kitchen and dragged at chair from the dining table into the living room so that she could sit in front of him. Very close in front of him. Their knees were almost touching. "Vamp."  
  
He cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"  
  
She sighed and shook her head. "Just do it. I wanna see."  
  
He shrugged as best he could and pulled his demon to the fore, allowing his teeth to lengthen into fangs, his eyes to glow golden/yellow, and his forehead to become all bumpy. "Now what?"  
  
She didn't say anything, just cocked her head at him. Stared into his eyes for a moment. "You're eyes are different than Angel's. You've got more gold, and almost no green."  
  
He gave a snort. "We're related, as much as that pains me. But we're not blood brothers. They're supposed to be different."  
  
She brought up a hand and touched his ridged forehead, pushing on the bumps slightly. "Are these bone, or muscle? They feel hard."  
  
"Bone, I think. Feels like the bones of my face shift a little when I do this." He cocked his head at her. "What are you doing, Slayer?"  
  
She shrugged. "I'm bored. I've never examined a vampire up close before, just for the purpose of examination. So, I'm examining. Think of yourself as a test subject." She ran a finger down the bridge of his nose. "Your nose gets all scrunched up."  
  
"Yeah. I think that keeps it out of the way when I bite." He watched her as well. He'd never noticed how nice her skin was. It looked so soft. He found himself wondering what it would be like to touch her cheek, like she was doing to him at that moment.  
  
"Your cheek bones still show, though. Hmm." She tugged on the end of his nose, trying to straighten it out a little, laughed when he sneezed. "Touchy, aren't you?"  
  
He gave a half growl. "No. Don't do that. It hurts to sneeze when I'm like this."  
  
She chuckled. "Sorry." Didn't mean it. Went back to her examination. "Do you breathe all the time, or only to talk?"  
  
"To talk, or when I'm tired. I've been told that I breathe in my sleep sometimes."  
  
She laughed. "Do you snore?"  
  
He gave a half chuckle. "Not that I know of."  
  
She was done examining his face. Sat back. Tried to think of something else to do. Allowed her eyes to travel down his neck, over his black clad chest, and down to where the shirt was hugging his abs. Ah! Inspiration. She reached out with one finger, and poked at his stomach, grinned when he jumped and his face went back to human. "Hmmm. Seems you are touchy." Poked again, more toward his ribs.  
  
Spike snorted, and his eyes got wide. "Slayer... What are you doing?"  
  
She gave him an evil grin. "Just what I said I was. Experimenting." Poked both sides at once and giggled when Spike bit his lip and squirmed. "Mr. Big Bad is ticklish."  
  
His blue eyes got wider and locked on hers. "No. Not at all. Quit it."  
  
She giggled again, and positioned both hands over his ribs. "Then this shouldn't bother you then."  
  
He licked his lips, and his whole body tensed. It was true, and he knew it. He'd always been ticklish. Excruciatingly so. And hated it. "Slayer.. Don't do what I think you're going to do..."  
  
She grinned. "You mean.. this!?" Her fingers decended, wiggling like mad, onto his sensitive ribs. Spike tried to hold it in, but she was playing his ribs like piano keys, and he couldn't take it. He started laughing like crazy, and trying to hop the chair away from her, but it didn't work. She worked his ribs over good then moved on to his stomach, resisting the urge to dig in, knowing from personal experience that the lighter the touch, the more it tickled. Spike was giggling and laughing like mad now, tossing his head back and forth simply because that was the only thing he could move.  
  
"Slayer... Stoooop!", he gasped out. To his suprise, she did.  
  
She sat back, giggling as she watched the now panting vampire. "Oh God..", she laughed. "This is too good. If I had only known this three years ago, you'd be dust now."  
  
Spike was still breathing hard, but he was also realizing something. Now that she'd stopped, he actually wanted her to start up again. When he'd been tickled in the past, the tickler would always dig into his ribs, admitedly eliciting loud and prolonged laughter, but Spike absolutely hated it. The way Buffy had been doing it, lightly, was a whole different sensation. And he found, to his great shock, that he had enjoyed that! He looked up at her. She seemed to be thinking. This could not be good. "What.. what's on your mind, Slayer?", he panted out.  
  
She grinned at him. "I was just thinking that I'm gonna do that again. But! I have an idea."  
  
The vampire swallowed, and gave her a half grin. "Ok."  
  
She froze, looked at him. " 'Ok'?"  
  
He chuckled and nodded. "That was... kind of fun."  
  
She laughed. "Oh goody. Then I'm gonna roll up your shirt, this time."  
  
He blanched. "What?"  
  
She nodded. "Oh yeah. Right on the skin is the best way to tickle someone." She raised an eyebrow. "Unless you're scared..?"  
  
He snorted at her. "I'm not scared of you or anything, Slayer. Bring it on."  
  
She grinned. "Ok." Leaned forward, rolling his shirt up to his armpits. "Hold your arms up out a bit, ok?" He did as she asked, and she shoved the sides of the rolled up shirt under his arms. "Clamp down." He did, effectivly pinning his shirt up. "Good..." She couldn't help but notice his abs. They'd been impressive with the shirt down, but now... Yummy.. NO! Bad Slayer. It's SPIKE for crying out loud!  
  
He must have noticed her focus. "Somethin' wrong, Slayer?"  
  
She snapped up, then covered quickly, "Uh. Nope. Just deciding how best to start this." Evil grin again. "I think I found the spot." Her eyes had locked on his bellybutton, which was totally exposed just above the waist band of his jeans.  
  
His eyes grew wide, and he licked his lips again. "Alright. I'm ready." He was tensed up, but not as much as before.  
  
She grinned. "Ok." She took one finger, and began tracing the lines of his abs. Spike began to giggle quietly almost immediatly. She brought her other hand up and played the fingers up and down one set of well muscled ribs. Spike started laughing harder. But when her finger found the spot just above his belly button, he went totally nuts, throwing his head around and laughing hysterically. She laughed along with him and brought the other hand down to play near his belly button as well. After about ten minutes of this, they both needed another break. Buffy had been laughing almost as hard as Spike had been. She leaned back in her chair, giggling. "I think this is the most fun I've ever had with you, Mortal Enemy."  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah.. Same goes.." He was breathing hard. "I think I need some water..."  
  
She laughed and got up. "Me too." Went into the kitchen and got two glasses of water, one with a straw so she wouldn't have to untie him. She sat back down, taking a long drink from her glass, then held the other one out to Spike, who latched onto the straw and sucked down half the glass in under ten seconds. "Whoa, slow down there. You can get a cramp drinking like that, you know."  
  
He stopped drinking and settled back in his chair again. "Not me. I only get cramps when I'm in one position too long."  
  
She cocked her head. "Have you been sitting there too long?" All the venom that was usually in both of their tones was missing. They were talking like.. friends, almost.  
  
He shook his head. "Naw. Rupert moves me around a bit, so I don't get cramped. I'm fine." He grinned at her. "Are we done now?"  
  
She shook her head. "Not yet.. I got somethin' I wanna try." She got up and walked over to where she'd left her purse on the coffee table, began rooting through it. "Where is that stupid thing?"  
  
"What're you lookin' for?"  
  
"My make up kit."  
  
Spike sat up straight. "Now wait a minute! You aren't giving me a make over!"  
  
She laughed. "That didn't even occur to me. I want the brush that's in the blush."  
  
He chuckled, wondering why everything was suddenly so funny. "Blush brush.." Chuckled again.  
  
She shook her head. "You need help. Seriously. AH!" She held up the item in question. "Found it." She blew the excess blush off the brush and brought it over with her to sit back down in her chair again. "This," she said, showing him the brush. "Is very soft, almost like a feather. I don't have a feather, and this was the first thing I thought of. See?" She ran it down his stomach, causing him to snort out a giggle. "Perfect, isn't it?"  
  
He licked his lips again. When had that become such a habit? "Yeah. Uh.. Slayer.. I really don't know how much more of this I can take. Seriously. I'm starting to feel really tired from laughing so hard."  
  
She giggled. "Yeah. I know. Me too, actually." She grinned at the brush, then at him. "But do you really want to pass this up? I know you like this. You don't even beg for me to stop."  
  
He ducked his head for an instant. "I never did before." Chuckled at himself and looked back up at her. "But you're right. This is fun. If tiring. And I do want to see what that brush can do."  
  
She laughed. "Figured. And don't you mean 'feel' what it can do?"  
  
He half grinned. "Yeah. Good point." She gave him a smile, and wiggled the brush down his bare side, while running a finger up and down his stomach with the other hand. He was instantly in hysterics this time. By the time she'd brought the brush down to wiggle it in and around his belly button, he had tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard. Finally, after another good fifteen minutes of that exquisitely maddening torture, she stopped. They both took a couple of moments to stop laughing completely, and Buffy got up and got a tissue to wipe the laughter induced tears from Spike's cheeks. He was panting again, and still hadn't quite stopped laughing yet, a quiet giggle escaping him here and there. She gently pulled his shirt down again, and settled back in her chair, waiting for him to calm down completely. It took a couple of minutes.  
  
Finally, Spike looked up at her, a kind of goofy grin on his face. She had the feeling that she looked about the same way. Neither of them had laughed like that in a long time. Maybe even years. Both of them were on an endorphin induced high at that moment, and feeling really good. Spike chuckled. "I'm itchy now."  
  
She laughed, and, without a second thought, she reached over and scratched his sides and stomach gently. "Better?"  
  
He made a quiet rumbling sound, and looked suprised at himself for it. "Uh.. Yeah.."  
  
She cocked her head. "What was that?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That sound you just made. You're still doing it. Just quieter." She smiled a little. "Sounds like a happy cat."  
  
He shook his head and grinned at her. "You hit it on the head. I'm bloody purring."  
  
She laughed. "Seriously?"  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah. I haven't purred in... I don't even remember when it was."  
  
"Is it like a cat? Means you're happy?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah. Contented. Relaxed. Happy. All those things." Chuckled. "Not words I usually associate with you, though."  
  
She chuckled. "Yeah. Things change, I guess." Gave him a considering look. "You're okay, I guess. For a bloodsucking fiend."  
  
He laughed. "Don't let word get around that I said this, but you're pretty alright, too. For a Slayer."  
  
She gave a grin, then frowned at his ropes. "That can't be comfortable. If I untie you, you won't try to run away, right?"  
  
He cocked his head at her. "You're serious?"  
  
Nodded. "Yeah. I am. Promise not to run away, though."  
  
He nodded. "Okay. I promise." Glanced outside. "I don't really want to, anyway. There are things out there that don't like me."  
  
She went behind his chair and began working at the ropes that held his hands. "Yeah. They don't care much for me, either." Got one hand free, then winced when she saw the rope burns on his wrist. "God. Giles really tied you tight, didn't he?" She took his wrist in her hand and examined it. "When I get you untied, I'll get the first aid kit. Wrap these up a little."  
  
He fishmouthed slightly. "Okay..." Since when was she THIS nice to him? He grinned. He could get to like this arrangement.  
  
She got the other hand free and found that the wrist was worse on that side. "Can you untie your legs? I'm gonna go get the aid kit now. I really don't like the looks of those burns." He nodded, and she got up and headed for the bathroom to retreive the kit.   
  
He untied his legs and stood up, stretching. It sure felt good to be off that hard chair. He turned around and grabbed the back of the chair, using it to stretch his back, yawning widely and showing fangs for an instant. Buffy came back as he wound the stretch down and shook his head a little. She grinned at him. "Hey. Come sit on the couch, so I can see your wrists."  
  
He followed her to the couch and sat down at one end. She sat close and put the first aid kit on her lap. "Gimme a hand."  
  
He couldn't help himself, he clapped. To his suprise, she laughed. "Not that kind of hand, you sack of stupid." There was no anger behind the insult. It was more like the way she would insult that Harris wanker, than him. She took one of his hands, the one with the worst rope burns, and began to gently clean them with antiseptic. He winced at the sting. She gave him a 'sorry' look, and kept cleaning the wrist. Then she wrapped some gauze around it and taped it in place, and then repeated the preformance with the other wrist. "There you go. All fixed. Better?"  
  
He smiled at her. Not a smirk, not a grin, a smile. "Yeah. Thanks, Sl- Buffy."  
  
She grinned. "Don't call me Buffy. Makes me feel weird. You never call me Buffy. Stick to Slayer."  
  
He chuckled. "Ok, Slayer. Whatever you say." He yawned, prompting her to do the same.  
  
"On't ooh at," she said around the yawn. Yawning Person to English translation? 'Don't do that.' "It's contagious."  
  
He laughed. "Yeah. I know. Sorry." He picked up the remote. "What's on the telly?"  
  
She made a face. "Can't you just say 'TV' like a normal person?" She reached for the remote. "Gimme."  
  
He pulled back. "Nuh-uh. I want to do IT!" The 'it' went up a notch because she started tickling his stomach. He promptly dropped the remote, and she snatched it up, scooting to the other end of the couch and sticking her tongue out at him. He shook his head. "That's cheating, Slayer."  
  
She laughed, flipping the TV on. "Yeah. I know." Flipped channels for a moment. Paused. "Ooh! Terminator 2!" She looked at him. "You should like this. Lots of violence and fake blood."  
  
He chuckled. "I prefer the real thing."  
  
"The violence, or the blood?"  
  
"Both."  
  
She chuckled. "Yeah. Sometimes I do, too. But not now. I'm too tired to fight." She grinned at him. "You wore me out with all your contagious laughing."  
  
He laughed a little. "Tickling me was your idea, Slayer. And for your information, I'm tired, too."  
  
She grinned. "Yeah. I know." Looked at the TV. "Oh! It's the part where that liquid guy impales the kid's adopted dad!"  
  
Spike chuckled at her enthusiasm, and turned his attention to the TV as well. The fake blood in this particular movie did have a nice semblance of realism to it...  
  
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Three hours later, a key turned in the lock and Giles came in. He froze when he realized that Spike's chair was empty. He started to call for Buffy, a panic rising in his mind and heart, but then he caught sight of her hair over one arm of the couch. He walked toward the couch slowly, almost crying when the thought that Buffy could be dead came to his mind. Memories of finding Jenny Calender's body in his bed flashed unbidden to the forefront of his mind. He reached the couch and swallowed, preparing for what he was sure he would find: Buffy's dead body, left there by Spike. But, what he did find nearly made him collapse with relief, and DID make him scratch his head in a very confused manner. First of all, he could hear not one, but two deep breathing sounds coming from the couch. That calmed him a little, and also confused him a bit. Two breathing? Not one? Ok, Rupert. Time to look.  
  
He leaned over the couch, and had to physically restrain himself from making a very loud shocked sound. Thinking he wasn't seeing right, he walked around one end of the couch, and looked from the front. Nope. He'd seen right the first time.   
  
Buffy was laying stretched out along the couch, her head on the pillow by one arm, in a deep sleep. This was not the shocking thing, however. Spike was in the exact same position, with his head at the other end of the couch, bandages around his wrists, and a contented smile on his sleeping face. That too, wasn't that unusual. Giles had let Spike out a couple of times, so that he'd stop complaining, and he had gone to sleep on the couch before, but what shocked the Watcher was that the Slayer's and the vampire's legs were tangled up, since they were occupying the same space on the couch. Both sleepers had happy looks on their faces, and Spike was making a deep purring sound in his sleep, along with breathing in the exact same rhythm as Buffy. In at the same time, out at the same time. Totally in sync. Giles decided against waking either of them up, partially because their tangled legs assured that one could not get up without waking the other.   
  
Giles reached down and gently extracted the remote from Buffy's hand, switching off the TV, which was showing a test pattern, anyway, and put the remote on the coffee table. He picked up the empty Kiss The Librarian mug, which Spike had obviously had blood in, two glasses, two empty coke cans, and a big bowl with some popcorn still in the bottom. He shook his head as he took the items into the kitchen. When he'd left that evening, he'd been afraid that he'd come home to either a pile of dust in the chair, or Spike in a closet, or something equally likely for Buffy to do to him, if the vampire'd annoyed her. He had not been expecting to come home to them sleeping on the couch together after having an apparent popcorn party. He finished washing out the mug, glasses, and bowl, and started to head upstairs to bed, with one last glance at the pair on the couch. They hadn't moved since he'd first seen them, and he suspected that they'd probably be that way all night. Oh well. Buffy deserved a night off every now and then.   
  
Still, as he walked up to bed, he couldn't help but wonder what had brought on this sudden and total reversal of Buffy and Spike's opinions of each other. He shook his head. He'd ask Buffy in the morning.  
  
Meanwhile, the Slayer and vampire continued to sleep, aware of the other's presence, but not worried in the least. Spike's deep purr continued to rumble from the unconcious vampire's chest, and he smiled in his sleep. Buffy also smiled, lost in a most intriguing dream involving Spike, feathers, a blush brush, and his ribs. Hmmm. She'd have to try that tomorrow......  
  
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Author's Notes 2: Hey! It is now 2:49 am, and I am done with this fic! Yay. Unless there are people who might like me to continue??? Well, if you do, speak up! I love feedback. I live for it. And yes, I know this wouldn't really fit in the real season four, but hey! Fanfic's are about making the Buffyverse the way we want it, right? Right! Oh, and the James Marsters interview? I found it online. Someone asked him if he was ticklish, and he said yes. Mostly ribs, stomach, knees and feet. And that Sarah was always merciless with him every time he had to be tied to anything for a taping. LOL. Can't you just see that? Poor James..=) 


	2. Evil Coke And Making Pacts

Disclaimer, Summary, ect.: See chap 1...  
  
Author's Notes: Ok. This story has been up for about six hours now (it's 11 am and I uploaded between three and four) and already there's three requests for continuances. So, I'm gonna continue. But, let me set the record straight here. The highest rating I write is R and that's for language. If the rating on this one does go up, it will be no higher than PG-13 unless I decide to bring in a Big Bad, like Adam, and rewrite a few episodes. I missed most of S4, when it first aired, but I saw it in reruns, so I might rewrite something, or I might just make mentions, just to be safe. Anyway, right now, I'm taking the rating up to PG, just to be safe. If there winds up being a 'sex scene', which I doubt, but might happen, it will be a fade out/morning after scene. Like the end of Smashed and the beginning of Wrecked. That's just the way I write. Moral reasons. Same thing with Tequlia Sunrise and myself on our collaborations. Oh, and 'Ohana: No One Gets Left Behind' WILL have at least two fade out/morning after scenes, but not until chapter... Uh.. Thirteen, I think. That's it, for now, I think. If I think of anything else, I'll put it at the end of this chap. Look what you've done. You've *forced* me to write another chapter. LOL. J/K. I want to write more, or I wouldn't be. Oh, also, since this is an alternate S4, Dawn exists. Just because I love writing Dawn/Spike friendship scenes.  
  
BTW, no, I don't know the address of the interview. I found it by doing this search on yahoo: James Marsters ticklish.  
A lot of hits will come up, you can either weed through them, or add the word 'chair' to the search, lol. That might help. Other than that, sorry.  
  
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Buffy woke up slowly, yawning and stretching a little, only to find that something was hindering the movement of her legs. She blinked a little, and looked at her surroundings. Giles' house. Living room. Couch. Spike. Spike? Sure enough, it was Spike that her legs were tangled in. Or, rather, his legs. She sat up slightly, smiling at him. The vampire's hair was tousled and curly, probably from nuzzling the couch pillow all night. It was kind of cute, really... WHAT was she thinking?! Cute and Spike do not go together. Right?  
  
Spike moved around a little, snuggling down against the couch pillows again. She couldn't help the mental 'awwww' that went through her. He looked like a little boy, not wanting to get up for school. Still, if she wanted the use of her legs, she'd have to wake him up. Even if she didn't want to. She tapped one of his legs gently. "Spike? Hey, wake up. I have to pee. Spike?"  
  
The vampire made a totally nonsensical noise and tried to stick his head between the couch cushions. "Mgnt."  
  
She couldn't help but giggle a little. He was harder to wake up than Dawn. "Spike." Poked at his leg again. "Wake up. I'm serious. I don't want to knock you off the couch, but I have to pee, and if you don't move, you're coming with me."  
  
"..sleepin'. Go 'way."  
  
She sighed, and considered her prediciment. Her coke was calling her to the bathroom, but she was tangled in a vampire. Who was.. She smiled when she realized that he was still purring. It was alot quieter than before, but there. That did it. She couldn't very well throw him off the couch, not after he'd purred to her all night. She layed her head back down and tried to figure out a way to wake him up without knocking him off the couch, or really bugging him at all. If he wanted to go back to sleep, she wanted to let him. Then, an idea. Remembering the previous night, she sat up slightly, and squeezed experimentally at one of his jean clad knees. The response was instantanious. Spike made a snorting sound and jerked his legs, both of them, up to his chest for an instant. That was all she needed. With her Slayer speed, she was off the couch and down the hall to the bathroom before he'd even straightened his legs back out. Whew. Coke is evil like that. Interrupt a perfectly good moment, just to go pee. Evil Coca-cola.  
  
After a few minutes, Buffy returned to the living room carrying a blanket from the hall closet, and layed the blanket over Spike, who was now totally back asleep. She stood there for a moment, watching him sleep. She looked at his hair, considered. It almost didn't look like it was mussed. Could it be that it was naturally curly? Was that why he kept it slicked back all the time? Looks soft... She reached a hand out and gently ran it over his curls. It is soft, she thought to herself. After all he does to it, I wonder how he gets it to stay soft? It was a mystery, just like the rest of him. She continued petting his hair for a couple more moments, allowing it to curl around her fingers. Sighed. He wasn't that bad, really. Not when he wasn't trying to be. She wondered why she hadn't seen it before.  
  
Oh well. She stopped petting the vampire and walked over to relax in Giles' recliner. She took the blanket that was over the back and layed it over herself, getting comfortable. Yawned. Absently wondered when her Watcher had gotten home the night before, then slowly dozed off.  
  
============================================================================================  
  
In another couple of hours, Giles came downstairs. He was still mostly asleep, so he didn't even look into the living room as he went into the kitchen to start the coffee pot. Finally, after allowing only one cup to drip, the Watcher grew impatient and poured the cup quickly, actually managing to get the pot back onto the burner before any coffee dripped onto it. He sighed. There was a time, not too long ago, when he'd thought of coffee as a 'strange American custom'. Now, he could barely start a day without it. Damn teenagers. It was all their fault, he knew it. It had to be their fault... Took a sip, swallowed. Oh, who was he kidding? As if there wasn't caffeine in tea.   
  
He walked out of the kitchen, intending to get his morning paper and sit down in his recliner, and just- Ok. Buffy was in the recliner. Well. No problem. He'd just go over to the cou- And Spike is on the couch. Giles sighed and went to the dining table instead. But there were two chairs missing from that as well. Well. Still two chairs left. He sat down and opened his paper. Not as comfortable as the recliner, or the couch, but it would do.  
  
Hearing the paper rustling woke up the Slayer in the recliner. She shifted slightly, and then stretched and got up. She glanced at the couch, and gave a half smile to see that Spike was still asleep. Then she turned to the dining room, and nearly squeaked when she saw Giles looking at her over his paper. Recovered quickly, though. "Hey, Mr. Watcher Man. When'd you get home?" She picked up one of the chairs from the living room and put it back in the dining room, then sat on it.  
  
Giles folded the paper and regarded his Slayer with interest. "Oh.. Around midnight. When did you untie Spike?"  
  
She gave him a blank look. Then the events of the previous night flashed into her mind. Uh-oh. "Uh.. He.. Uh.. said that his wrists were bothering him, so I untied him to check, and then we.. watched.. Terminator 2.." Her voice had gotten progressively quieter as she continued, and by the time she got to the word 'two', it was barely a whisper. She looked up at him with big eyes. "Are you mad at me?"  
  
Giles sighed. No. Of course he wasn't mad. How could he be when she was giving him the 'Little Lost Girl' face? "No, Buffy. I'm not mad at you." Picked up his paper again. "So. I take it he was agreeable to remaining in the house, then?"  
  
Buffy nodded. She couldn't tell Giles too much. She couldn't figure out exactly what had come over her the last night. Playing with a vampire. She must have had something weird to eat or something. But that wouldn't explain why she'd still been feeling the same way that morning. And still did. Absolutely none of her previous apathy for the vampire was in her system. She felt like he was... was.. was what? A friend? "Maybe friend is too strong a word.."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Buffy nearly had a heart attack. She'd said that last part out loud! Ah! Think fast. "There was a cat... outside.. and Dawn was feeding it.. and she said that it was her friend, and I said that it's a va- cat. It's a cat. Maybe friend is too strong a word, ya know?"  
  
Giles held up his newspaper to hide a half grin. She obviously didn't know that he'd seen them on the couch. So he told her. Her eyes got real big, and she covered her face with her hands. Then looked at him imploringly. "Don't tell anyone, please, Giles?"  
  
Giles nodded. "Don't worry. To tell you the truth, I was kind of getting used to him. I was wondering how I'd tell you that I was thinking of letting him roam around. On a trial basis, you understand."  
  
Buffy gave a relieved grin. "Thank you, Giles." She laughed a little. "Want to know what really happened last night? The whole thing?" Sheepish grin. "I left some stuff out before."  
  
Giles chuckled. "I figured as much. Sure."  
  
So she told the whole story. Still leaving out a couple of things that she was certain that her Watcher wouldn't want to hear. Like the fact that Spike had incredible abs, and that his eyes were so pretty. Both when vamped, and normally. Especially when they glistened after he'd been laughing for awhile. Then they were the most beautiful shade of blue. Like a sapphire, with dew on it, shining in the sunlight...   
  
"Buffy?", Giles said, waving his hand in front of her face a bit. "Buffy? Hello?"  
  
She snapped back. "Huh? Oh.. Sorry, Giles. I was thinking." Yeah. Thinking. More like watching as her train of thought derailed. Damn Spike. Damn Spike and his beautiful eyes... "Huh?"   
  
"I said, what were you thinking about?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nothing important. Just wondering when sleeping vampy in there's gonna wake up."  
  
"About ten minutes ago," came a British voice from the living room.  
  
Buffy jumped in her chair. She turned around a little, seeing Spike slowly making his way into the kitchen. He was moving warily, like he expected her or Giles to jump up and tie him to something. She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Hey."  
  
The vampire paused in his tracks and just leaned against the wall. "Morning." His posture was tense, and his eyes kept shifting between the Slayer and her Watcher.  
  
Giles stood, and Spike instinctivly took a step back, but the Watcher was only going into the kitchen for a coffee refill. Spike's eyes followed Giles, untill he sat back down at the table, then they resumed jumping between him and Buffy. "Well?"  
  
Giles took a sip of coffee. "Well, what, Spike?"  
  
He gestured to himself. "Aren't one of you going to tie me back up again?"  
  
Buffy cocked her head at him. "You *want* us to tie you up?"  
  
His eyes widened. "Well.. no. But isn't that what you're going to do?"  
  
Giles shook his head. "Buffy and I have been discussing it, and we believe that it is probably a good idea to allow you more mobility." He gestured toward the vampire's bandaged wrists. "The ropes don't seem to agree with you."  
  
Spike looked shocked. He looked at Buffy for confirmation. She nodded. "You can walk around. Just don't leave the house. Without me or Giles with you, that is."  
  
He just stood there, looking like he needed to sit down. "Ok. What's the joke? What happened? Why are you two being nice to me?" He looked honestly confused, and maybe even slightly scared.  
  
Buffy stood up slowly, watching as his eyes locked on her as they had with Giles. She walked slowly to him. "Spike. We're not going to hurt you." She gently layed one hand on his arm, suprised to feel him tense up. "I thought you were alright with me touching you."  
  
He nodded, then leaned against the wall again. "Yeah... Sorry." But he didn't relax.. much.  
  
She sighed, then turned to her Watcher. "Giles, can you gimme a minute here?"  
  
Giles nodded, got up, and took his newspaper and coffee upstairs.  
  
Spike stood there, regarding the Slayer with a confused look. She sighed annoyedly, grabbed him by the arm and yanked him into the living room semi-roughly. Plopped him on the couch and crouched down in front of him. "*What* is wrong with you?"  
  
He just stared at her. "*Me*? You're the one who's being so nice to me all of a sudden."  
  
She threw her hands up. "I thought you'd LIKE that!"  
  
"I do!"  
  
She sat on the coffee table. "Then why are you so nervous today? I thought we had fun last night." She gently reached over and ran a finger down his stomach.   
  
He gave a half grin. "Yeah. We did." He cocked his head. "So.. You actually meant it? I can stay untied?"  
  
She laughed and shifted to sit on the couch next to him. "Yeah. We meant it." She looked at him. "Why were you so worried, anyway?"  
  
"It's stupid."  
  
She grinned. "Come on. I know your deepest, darkest secret, Mr. Ticklish Vampire." She poked his ribs playfully.  
  
He snorted. "You really want to know?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He chuckled. "I was worried that it might have been a dream. Or that you might be setting me up for some reason." He very slowly, tentitively placed a hand on her arm. "I enjoyed you... playing with me. And watching the movie, eating popcorn, drinking coke." Withdrew his arm. "I didn't want it to end."  
  
She had been chewing on her lip absently, but she released it and reached out to pull his arm back. She held his forearm in her hand, gently. "Now grab me."  
  
He cocked his head, glancing down at her hand on his arm. "What?"  
  
She sighed. "Just do it."   
  
He complied, gripping her forearm as she was his. "Now what?"  
  
She bit her lip again. "Giles taught me this. It's the strongest kind of handshake. Used to seal important deals." She took a deep breath. "I want to make a pact with you. For as long as we know each other, from now on, I want us to be equals. Friends."  
  
Spike cocked his head at her. "You mean it?"  
  
She swallowed, but nodded. "I'm not saying we won't fight. God knows I can't promise that. I'll still annoy you, and you'll still bug me. The only thing that will change is the form." She took another deep breath. "Think of this as another test. Only this time, we're both the test subjects."  
  
He watched her, his blue eyes focusing on her green ones, searching for any signs of duplicity, or humor that would warn him that she wasn't serious. There were none. He slowly nodded, and moved their joined arms up and down. "Yeah. Okay. Another test." They released each other's arms at the same moment. Spike cocked his head at her. "And what if we fail the test?"  
  
She shrugged. "We'll cross that dam when we come to it."  
  
"Bridge."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "What bridge?"  
  
He chuckled. "You said 'dam', it's bridge. We'll cross that *bridge* when we come to it."  
  
She shook her head and laughed. "Yeah. I knew that. I wonder why I said dam."  
  
He laughed. "Don't look at me, Slayer. It's your world, I just unlive in it."  
  
She chuckled at his pun. "You'd better believe it, Evil Dead."  
  
It was about then that Giles came in. "Have you two worked this out?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
"Ah, good." He handed Buffy a very old book. "I thought you might be interested in this." He glanced at Spike. "Both of you. Buffy told me about your experiments last night."  
  
It was Spike's turn to bite his lip, although he released quickly when he realized that he was unconciously imitating the Slayer. Cleared his throat. "What's the book?"  
  
Buffy turned it over, examined the cover. "It's not in english, Giles. I don't read non-english."  
  
Spike leaned over and looked at the cover. Grinned. "A History Of Vampires And Their Quirks, eh?"  
  
Buffy gaped at him. "*You* can read THIS?!"  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah. It's in a combination of latin and vampiric. No problem for me." Chuckled. "Well, I know a little latin. But enough of it's in vampiric that I can prolly figure out the rest."  
  
Buffy looked down at the book, then at the vampire. "Can you show me?"  
  
He grinned. "Sure. What're friends for?"  
  
Giles chuckled. "Well, I'm going out for awhile again. So, enjoy the book. Have fun."  
  
As he headed out the door, Buffy called playfully, "Have fun, yourself, Giles!" There was no answer from the Watcher besides a key locking the door. Once he was gone, Buffy settled back and opened the book. "What's this say?"  
  
Spike looked at it, then laughed. "First Edition, published 1163."  
  
She pouted. "You are not serious."  
  
He chuckled. "I am serious. And the next page is the table of contents."  
  
She grinned. "Ok, so what're the chapters about?"  
  
He grinned. "Let's just start at the beginning." He turned the page. "Chapter One, Vampire's Classic Likes and Dislikes."  
  
She smiled and layed the book across both their laps, then leaned to rest her head on his shoulder. "I'll just look at the pictures. You read."  
  
He tensed up a bit when she leaned on him, but relaxed after a moment. "Ok. Part One: How To Relax A Male Vampire..."  
  
"Hmmmm. Velly, velly, interlestin'...", Buffy said with a very faked german accent.  
  
Spike chuckled. "Who's reading here?"  
  
Small laugh. "Sorry. Continue."  
  
"Okay...."  
  
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Author's Notes 2: Ok. I've now got so many requests for a continuance, I am just gonna go on. I know parts will be OOC, but, hey. There needs to be more Spuffy fluffyness out there, am I right? As always, REVIEW! PLEASE!! *a-hem* Thank you. I now return you to your regularly scheduled life. If you have one, unlike me. lol. 


	3. What Vampires Want

Title, Summary, ect: See chap 1.  
  
Disclaimer:(lol. I can't believe I forgot a disclaimer!) None of the characters in this fic are mine. N O N E of them. They all belong to people who don't care half as much about them as I do. =P---- That's for you Joss! And ME, too. If you only cared about your character's happiness, and gave a hoot about true love, you wouldn't cause your loyal fans to have to fix every bloody thing you show!  
*sigh* I'm done ranting now. Sorry.  
  
Author's Notes: Ooh! A big thank you to Spike-lover! I'm your fav author? Really!? Wow. *blushes, then tamps blush down by force of will and clears throat* A-hem. None of you saw that, right? Right. Cause I'm just as big and bad as Spike. Really. Or didn't you notice? Lol. Yeah. I am just about as bad as him, now. Curious as to what was in that book? Well, wait no further....  
  
  
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Chapter 3  
What Vampires Want  
=================  
  
  
  
"Come on, Spike! Please?", Buffy said to the hall closet door. Spike had locked himself in there when she'd suggested experimenting with some of the stuff that they'd been reading about.  
  
"Uh-uh. No bloody way on the Hellmouth, Slayer," came the reply. "I am staying in here untill the Watcher gets back."  
  
Buffy pouted. "But he might not be back for HOURS!!" Tugged on the doorknob. "Don't you trust me?"  
  
In the closet, Spike considered. That time the previous day, the answer would have been a vement 'hell no'. Now.. Well.. "Yeah. I trust you. I'm just not sure how much yet."  
  
She grinned. "Well? What better way to find out?" Grinned wider when the door opened slightly. "Come on. I promise only to do what you'll let me do. Just tell me what the book says, and I'll do it. The book said that you'll enjoy it, remember?"  
  
He opened the door further and came out, chewing on his lip. Glanced down at the book in his hands. "Okay. But this is only a test, right? If I want you to stop, you will, right?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. Of course." Considered crossing her fingers, but decided against it. She wanted this friendship to work.  
  
Spike gave a half grin. "Alright. Let's go." They walked into the living room, and sat back on the couch. Spike opened the book, and chuckled at the little scraps of paper with translations that Buffy had insisted that he tape to the pages so that she could read the table of contents. "What exactly did you have in mind?"  
  
She cocked her head and read the translations. She'd always been good at remembering what a book said, but as for where in the book it was... Well, that was harder. Hence the translated table of contents. Grinned and pointed. "That one. 'Pleasure Causing Weaknesses'."  
  
Spike looked down at the book, chewed his lip again, and turned to the right page. "Gimme a minute to get the translations up for you."  
  
She nodded and leaned against his shoulder as he read the index and scribbled on the legal pad that he was using for the translations. Spike found it a bit hard to concentrate when she was leaning on him for some reason, but managed to get the index up and taped to the page. "There you go. Find something that interests you."  
  
She read down it and giggled. "This one I already knew. 'Light touch stimulations causing prolonged laughter'." Poked his ribs.  
  
Spike chuckled. "Ok, we've already experimented with that one. Pick another one."  
  
She grinned up at him. "But I like that one. And you do too, you know."  
  
He shook his head. "Later. Maybe. You said you wouldn't do anything that I didn't want you to do, remember?"  
  
Pout, but nod of agreement. "Okay. I'll pick something el- Ooh! Look at this! 'Sensitive to gentle rubbing and scratching. Upper body'. I like that one." Looked up at him. "Can I?"  
  
He thought for a moment. There was still a part of him that was saying that she was going to stake him at any moment, but it had gotten alot quieter since the previous night's bout of tickling. He shrugged. "Let me read the details first."  
  
"Okay. Hurry." She bounced slightly in her seat. "I want to play."  
  
He chuckled. "God, Slayer. What did you have for breakfast?"  
  
She cocked her head. "I don't think I had breakfast." Got up. "While you read, I'm gonna get some food. Want anything?"  
  
He shook his head, then changed his mind. "Could you get me some blood?  
  
"Okay." She headed for the kitchen.   
  
Spike returned his attention to the book. 'Make sure vampire is relaxed and comfortable before preforming any of the following exercises..' He wrote down the translations on the legal pad as he read. It helped sometimes to be ambidexterous.  
  
A few minutes later, Buffy returned with a mug of warm blood, and a sandwich for herself. "Here you go," she said, handing the mug to the vampire, who had finished his translation only moments earlier. She sat down. "Can I see now?"  
  
He nodded, not taking his mouth off the straw, and handed her the legal pad. She grinned and read the whole thing while she ate her sandwich. In about ten minutes, both of them had finished their meals, and Buffy was finishing reading the translation. When she was done, she looked up at Spike. "Okay. It says you have to be relaxed and comfortable. Maybe.. Uh.. Lie down."  
  
He nodded, and stretched out across the couch on his stomach. He had to curl his legs at the knees and rest his knees against the arm of the couch to allow her enough room to still sit. She shook her head and stood up. "Uh-uh. Stretch out the whole way. I'll get the chair from over there."  
  
He did as she asked as she got the chair that he'd been tied to less than twenty four hours earlier and carried it over to in front of the couch. She sat down and looked at him. He had his head pillowed on his arms and was watching her. "You ready?", she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Tell me what you're going to do, though."  
  
She reached out and slowly began rubbing small circles where his ribs curved and met his back. "Just like the book said. Gentle rubbing."  
  
Spike lay there, a warm, peaceful feeling seeming to flow from her hands, to his side, up his spine, and just spread out until he felt so relaxed that he was almost asleep. It was sheer will that kept his eyes open and locked on her.  
  
She smiled at him, feeling as all the tension flowed from his body. She widened her rubbing to include more of his back, until she was basically giving him a massage. Spike's eyes closed, then reopened, then closed again as her hands found the weak spot in between his shoulder blades. She smiled, liking how good she was making him feel. "I'm guessing the book was right, then, huh? Total relaxation?"  
  
The vampire grunted an affirmative, causing Buffy to giggle a little. He was too relaxed to talk. Time to stop. She sat back, waited for him to open his eyes. It took awhile, and when he finally did open them, he blinked several times, and then shook his head to clear it. Looked over at Buffy with a grin very similar to the one he'd had the previous night. "Hey."  
  
She grinned back. "Hi. Almost put you to sleep there, didn't I?"  
  
Sheepish nod. "Now what?"  
  
She glanced down at the legal pad. "Hmm. Take off your shirt, I think. And lay on your back this time."  
  
He tensed up a little. Laying on his back around a Slayer defied every instinct he had. It was a totally vulnerable position, in which he had little or no hope of defending himself should she choose to stake him. But... Trust. He had to trust her. He did trust her, mostly. Swallowed. "Uh... Okay." Licked his lips, and did as she asked.  
  
She frowned slightly when she saw him tense. Hmm. Nervous again. She'd have to fix that. Once he was in position, she reached out a tentitive hand and layed it palm down on his stomach. His muscles were tensed, and he tried to relax them, but they just weren't listening to him at that moment. He swallowed again and watched her as her other hand came up to join the first one.  
  
She's warm, he thought. And it did feel nice. Kept watching as she began rubbing circles as she had on his back. Rubbing his stomach and ribs as if he were her pet dog. That warm feeling started again, and soon the stubborn tense muscles had totally relaxed.  
  
She smiled when she was sure that he'd relaxed, then shifted from rubbing to a nice, hard scratching. She laughed quietly when Spike closed his eyes and let out a happy moan. She kept up her scratching, going up to his chest, then down to his bellybutton, then back up again. Oh, he was loving this. The look on his face was absolutely adorable. Eyes closed, mouth slightly open, the corners turned up in a gentle smile. Then the purring started, quiet at first, then louder and louder the more she scratched.  
  
After about twenty minutes of this, Spike was on the verge of either going to sleep, or vibrating himself off the couch from all the purring. Buffy decided that it was time for a new game. She kept scratching, but slowly lightened the touches, watching his face carefully. The moment he was on to what she was doing, she'd pull out all the stops. She didn't want to catch him completely off guard, though. It might cause him to drop all the trust that she was earning. She moved the now extremely light scratching completely onto his ribs.  
  
Spike twitched, and his eyes opened. Locked on Buffy's. Caught the look she was giving him. Half grinned. "Now... Slayer.."  
  
"It's later." He knew now. He was ready. She cut loose, tickling his ribs with everything she had. It was alot harder when he could move around, rather than be tied to a chair. He bucked like crazy and kept trying to escape by rolling off the couch, but she hopped off the chair and sat on his legs to keep him from moving around quite so much. Spike was absolutely hysterical, howling with laughter as he desparately tried to get Buffy off of him. She was tickling his ribs, stomach, and kept reaching up to his armpits when he'd try to grab the couch arm to pull himself away from her. It was too much, far too much. Then, an idea. Fight back.  
  
He'd been trying to grab her hands, but now his hands had a different aim. They found their way to her ribs and began to tickle furiously. Buffy squealed and laughed, trying to twist away from him and keep tickling him at the same time. "Stooooppp!!", she gasped out.  
  
"Yoooou fiiiiirrstt!" He found a particularly sensitive spot on her stomach, and dug in mercilessly. Buffy gave a loud squeal and her hands left his stomach to grab at his hands. That was the opening he needed. He jerked his legs out from under her, rolled off the couch, nearly tripped over the coffee table, and took off up the stairs with the Slayer close on his heels.  
  
He ran into Giles' bedroom, and was flying tackled from behind and thrown onto the bed. This started a ticklefight between the Slayer and vampire that lasted a good twenty minutes before they were both too exhausted to continue and just lay there, side by side, laughing and giggling helplessly. It took another ten minutes for them to calm down. Buffy crawled up to the headboard and leaned against it, crossing her legs and sitting indian style on her Watcher's now messy pillows. Spike didn't quite get that far, and fell onto his side with his head in her lap. He started to move, to roll off her, but she stopped him. "S'ok. You can stay."  
  
Spike looked up at her sideways. "I can? You don't mind?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nope." Frowned. "But that can't be good, havin' your head on my knees. Hang on." She pulled a pillow out from under her and slipped it between his head and her knees. "There. Nice and soft." She put another pillow lengthways behind her, so if she leaned her head back, it wouldn't be on the wall or the headboard.  
  
Spike grinned and snuggled down against the pillow, watching Buffy quietly. She reached down and scratched his ribs and stomach a little, causing him to start purring louder again. He'd never really stopped purring, not even during all the tickling, he'd just gotten quieter. After a moment, Buffy stopped scratching and leaned her head back. Absently, one of her hands began stroking his hair gently.  
  
Spike pressed his head against her hand, and she looked down at him for an instant. His eyes were closed, and he was purring very loudly. She smiled, and continued her stroking, alternating it with gentle scratching on his scalp. It didn't take long before the vampire was sound asleep, his breathing once again mirroring her own.   
  
She was on the verge of dozing off herself, the feeling of his hair in her hand was very soothing. Like petting a cat. When she heard the front door open. She glanced down at the slumbering vampire in her lap, and gave a mental shrug. Giles would have to deal, cause she was not waking him up.  
  
Giles came upstairs, and opened his bedroom door, suprised to see Buffy sitting on his bed with a lap full of Spike. The vampire's purring was reverberating in the room, making it very easy for the Watcher to hear it. He walked over and sat in a chair next to the bed. Gave Buffy a smile, which she returned. He looked at Spike, who still didn't have a shirt on, and remembered the open book that had been on the coffee table. He looked at Buffy. "Chapter five?"  
  
She grinned, then whispered, "Chapter five."  
  
===========================================================================================  
  
Author's Notes: Ok. How was that? Remember that I love reviews. If you still want me to continue, I'll do my best. Oh, I might have a new chap of both this and Out Of Time: Pleistocene Panic up tomorrow night, (if people want me to continue, that is), but after that, I work with Tequila Sunrise friday and saturday nights, then my family has 'together days' monday and tuesday. Depending how things go, there may be a new chap of each again sunday, or not until tuesday night. I don't know. But PLEASE REVIEW anyway! I nearly have to go take a tranquilizer every time I see that I have more reviews for anything! Thank you! 


	4. All In The Family

Disclaimer, Summary, ect: See chap 1. (or three for the disclaimer, lol.)  
  
Author's Notes: Ok, I'm sooooo sorry about what happened with the third chap. Stupid me. I used an arrow symbol, and it erased everything after it!!! Took me four hours to figure out what happened. I fixed it, thank goodness. Oh, and about a plot? One maaay develop... Maybe. I don't usually like to write more than two stories with an actual plot at once, because I get them run together. I'm already working on Out Of Time: Pleistocene Panic, and my collaboration with Tequila Sunrise, Ohana: No One Gets Left Behind, so that's two plots that I have to keep up with already. This one.. Well, this is just for fun, really. The plot is friendship, and possibly romance, btw (and lots of tickling, lol). And whoa. Over seventy reviews. That's more than... Well, anything I've written, lol. Even my fic Playtime that won an award only has twenty five reviews, even though I added a second chapter a couple of days ago. Huh. Go figure. Maybe you nice people can click on my authorname and check out some of my other stories? Huh? Pretty please? Thank you.  
  
  
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Chapter 4  
All In The Family  
=============  
  
  
"I'm not kidding, Giles!", Buffy said. "Besides, you've had him cooped up in here forever. My mom likes him, Dawn likes him, he can stay at my house."  
  
Giles sighed and glanced at his Slayer across the dining table. "Buffy. I know that over the last week or so you and Spike have been getting along. Lord knows that he's been calmer lately. But are you sure? Inviting him in, having him stay in the same house as your mother and sister? He's still a vampire, and still rather unpredictable."  
  
Buffy snorted. "Unpredictable. Please." She laughed. "I've got him wrapped, Giles. We're friends. And he likes Mom and Dawn. He wouldn't hurt them."  
  
"What if the chip fails?"  
  
She shrugged. "I asked him that yesterday. He said that he didn't know what he'd do, but he promised to leave us alone." She considered a moment. "I don't think he'd hunt, anyway. He likes being friends with me. And he knows I'd drop him like a hot plate if he ever hunted humans."  
  
Giles chuckled. "Yes. I suppose you're right." Shook his head. "Alright. But on a trial basis only. And remember, you still have to ask your mother. And Spike."  
  
Buffy grinned. "No problem. And I already asked Mom. She said that he could sleep on the couch. She's already putting sheets over the windows just in case."  
  
Giles gave a sigh and stood up. "Very well, then. Now all you have to do is ask Spike."  
  
She smiled. "I know he'll say yes anyway."  
  
=============================================================================================  
  
"What do you mean you don't want to!"  
  
Spike shook his head again. "Just what I said. I don't want to. I'm fine at the Watcher's."  
  
Buffy pouted. "Awww. Come on! You can hang out with Dawn, and have cocoa with my Mom, and watch movies, and sleep. You'll have the run of the house!"  
  
Spike sighed and sat on a tombstone. This was the second night that he'd accompanied the Slayer on patrol that week. The night before, he'd had the pleasant realization that he could kill demons without setting off the chip. A large green and purple demon had cornered Buffy, and Spike had reacted totally on instinct, leaping onto it's back and breaking it's neck in one swift move. Then he'd dropped back, waiting for the chip to go off, thinking that it was a delayed reaction. Upon realizing that it wasn't, they moved on to test this. Stake vampire, no shock. Kill demon, no shock. Throw a rock at a rat, shock. Step on a snail, no shock. Although that last one was an accident. They'd come to the conclusion that he couldn't harm any living thing with the exception of insects and slimy creatures like snails. They'd looked for a snake, or a frog to test the 'Can't Hurt Warm-Blooded Animals, Can Hurt Cold-Blooded' theory, but hadn't been able to find one. Still, it was good enough for Spike. He could get in a little of the violence that he craved, and still keep his friendship with the Slayer. Perfect arrangement. "It sounds so good, luv. I just..."  
  
She crouched in front of him. "You're nervous again."  
  
Slight nod. "Yeah. I keep waiting to wake up and you'll hate me again."  
  
She looked in his eyes and placed her hands on his knees. "Not going to happen, okay? Now, come on, or else."  
  
He chuckled and looked down at her. "Or else? Or else what?"  
  
She laughed. "Or else I'll tell Dawn about you being ticklish. In detail. And then I'll hold you down for her." She squeezed his knees gently.  
  
He laughed and jerked back from her, nearly falling off the tombstone backwards in the process. "Okay! I give!"  
  
She grinned and stopped her playful kneading of his knees. "So you'll come home with me?"  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah. You talked me into it. Under threat of torture, no less."  
  
She snorted and stood up. "Oh, please. You love it and you know it."   
  
He chuckled and stood to follow her. "I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with that, Slayer."  
  
She waited till he fell into step beside her, and slipped her arm around his waist, letting him rest his across her shoulders, and then she leaned her head against his chest as they walked. "Yeah, yeah. I already know the answer, anyway."  
  
The vampire just chuckled.  
  
============================================================================================  
  
"Ahhh! Help! Vampire!!", Dawn screamed, running around the backyard with Spike hot on her heels, game face fully in place. "Oh, won't someone save me?!"  
  
Buffy jumped off the porch as the pair rounded the lawn again and flying tackled Spike to the ground. "Never fear, Super Slayer is here! I will take this- AHH! Spike! Stop it!!!" In the middle of her superhero rant, the vampire had started tickling her sides. Buffy squealed and yelled to Dawn for help. The youngest Summers just watched the two wrestling on the grass.  
  
"I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?", she said with a giggle.  
  
"Heeeelllllppp! Haha!"  
  
Spike grinned up at Dawn, and mouthed something to her, without pausing his tickling of the Slayer. Dawn grinned back. "What's the magic word?", she asked her helplessly giggling sister.   
  
Buffy squealed when Spike got too near her bellybutton. "Pleeehe-he-hessssee!!"  
  
Dawn grinned. "But she didn't say who I'm supposed to help. Oh well. Move over, Spike." She pounced on her sister, helping Spike by going for Buffy's waist and lightly pinching furiously. This sent the Slayer into gales of laughter. She couldn't fight off both Spike and Dawn at the same time.  
  
From the back porch, Joyce Summers watched the three playing in the yard. Spike had been added to the household five days earlier, and had already proven himself indespensible. He cooked dinner, which had suprised Joyce when she'd come home late from the Gallery. He cleaned up after himself, as fastidious as a cat. AND, he looked after both Dawn and Buffy like some sort of big brother with fangs. Joyce chuckled at the scene in the backyard and shook her head. Poor Buffy. She'd have to do something.   
  
Spike and Dawn were so focused on torturing the Slayer, that neither of them noticed Joyce approaching from behind. She gauged who was dishing out the torment the worst, and found it to be Spike. So, the mother of two did the only thing she could do, she leaned over and dug her fingers into the vampire's side in a movement that must be taught to mothers at some parenting class. The effect was instantanious. Spike howled with laughter and rolled off Buffy, trying to shake off Joyce. Dawn's eyes grew huge as Buffy turned the tables on her, tickling her younger sister mercilessly. After about ten minutes of payback, the two sisters got up, both still giggling up a storm, and walked over to where Spike and Joyce were now sitting on the back porch stairs. Spike was still chuckling, and grinned widely when Dawn climbed into his lap and hugged him tightly.  
  
The four stayed on the porch for a long time, talking about anything and everything that came to mind, until nearly ten pm. Joyce decided then that they'd been up long enough, even for a Friday night, and insisted that it was time for them all to go get some sleep. Buffy agreed. Dawn probably would have, except that she had fallen asleep in Spike's lap about an hour earlier, and he'd carried her up to bed, then come back to join the mother and daughter on the porch.  
  
Now, yawning widely, the trio trooped back into the house. Exhausted, Spike flopped on the couch and waved good night to Buffy and Joyce as they made their way upstairs. He yawned again, and removed his shirt, socks, and shoes, then grabbed the comforter that was draped over the back of the couch and pulled it up over himself. Snuggled down against the pillow, and was soon sound asleep.  
  
===========================================================================================  
  
In the middle of the night, an electrical storm began. Loud, rolling thunder and lightning flashes lit up the night. Spike groaned and pulled the comforter up over his head to try and block out the annoying sound that was keeping him awake.  
  
Upstairs, Dawn woke up and sat straight up in bed. Thunder boomed again. She glared at her window. She hated thunderstorms. Passionatly. She wasn't scared of them. Not really, but still. Buffy's bed was probably a safer place to be, in case the power went out or something. She picked up her stuffed cow, Spot, and walked down the hall to her sister's room. The door was open slightly, so she just pushed it the rest of the way. "Buffy?"  
  
"Uuuhgh."  
  
Shook the Slayer gently. "Buffy, wake up."  
  
"Mm. What?", Buffy said groggily. At that moment, thunder crashed outside and both sisters jumped. "I'm awake."  
  
Dawn looked at her sheepishly. "Can I sleep in here? Till the storm goes away?"  
  
Buffy sighed. It wasn't the first time, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. She scooted over. "Sure, Dawnie. Climb in."  
  
Neither of them could sleep, what with the thunder BOOMing every two minutes or so. So it wasn't really a suprise that they were awake to see the bathroom light come on. Water running. Toilet flushed. Light off. Dawn looked at Buffy, an unspoken question in her eyes. Buffy sighed and nodded. Dawn got up and went into the hall. "Spike?"  
  
The vampire at the top of the stairs turned around. "Bit? What're you doin' up?"  
  
She shook her head. "Can't sleep. Buffy says you can come in here with us, if you want."  
  
He cocked his head at her. "Really?"  
  
She nodded emphatically. "Yeah. We can't sleep with all the noise."  
  
He chuckled and walked with her back into the Slayer's room. "To tell you the truth, those flashes of bright light aren't doin' too much for my sleep cycle, either."  
  
From the bed, Buffy smiled. "Climb on. Thank God Mom bought us queen sized beds."  
  
Spike chuckled and got on the bed next to Dawn. She rolled over him so that he was squashed between the two sisters. Spike rolled onto his side, making himself comfortable. Dawn and Buffy both snuggled close, Dawn with her back against his stomach, and Buffy against his back with one arm slung over his side. Spike pulled the sheet up over the three of them and then put an arm over Dawn in the same position that Buffy was with him. In unison, all three sighed, then started laughing a little at the strangeness of that particular motion.  
  
They lay together in silence for awhile, with the girls snuggling closer to Spike everytime there was a BOOM outside. Finally, Dawn posed a question. "Spike?"  
  
"Yeah, Bit?"  
  
"Can you tell us a story?"  
  
"That depends on your sister."  
  
Against his back, Buffy nodded. "Ok. But nothing scary. Maybe.. a fairy tale, or something?"  
  
Spike chuckled. "At this moment, the two of you are cuddling a vampire. Remind me again what constitutes 'scary'."  
  
Dawn giggled. "Not you."  
  
Spike used the arm that he had around her to squeeze her a little. "Oh yeah? Why not?"  
  
Behind him, Buffy laughed quietly. "Dawnie, do you want to tell him, or should I?"  
  
"I wanna."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Dawn rolled over a little so that she could look up at him. "Because no one, vampire or not, who likes to cook, and play, and be tickled, and cuddle can be really scary. No matter what you look like with fangs, which I think is cool, by the way. And you have pretty eyes. Both ways."  
  
Spike was very glad at that moment that it was impossible for vampires to blush. He cleared his throat. "Oh. Okay. So.. story, huh?"  
  
Both Summers nodded, even though he could only see one.  
  
"Okay. Give me a minute to think of one."  
  
Buffy gently squeezed him from behind. "Hurry, please."  
  
He chuckled. "Okay. Well, once upon a time, there was a dog who lived in a nice home, in a nice neighborhood, and had a wonderful family to play with. He was happy where he was, and never wanted to leave."  
  
"What was the dog's name?", Dawn asked.  
  
Spike thought for a moment. "Prince. He was a Austrailian Shepard mix."  
  
Buffy smiled. "Does that mean he had blue eyes?"  
  
Spike moved his body a little to bump her backwards. "Who's telling the story? Me, or you?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Thank you." The vampire cleared his throat. "But yes, he did."  
  
Both girls giggled. Spike ignored them and continued. "One day, his family took Prince to a nearby field to play. He played with the other dogs, and then something in the sky caught his eye. It was a hawk, soaring high up at the bellies of the clouds. Prince was excited. That creature could fly! He barked at the hawk and was suprised when the bird called back and swooped low toward him. He got very excited, and began to bark at the hawk some more. Suddenly, the hawk buzzed him extremely close. It was an invitation to race. Prince accepted and ran after the now low flying hawk. He ran as fast as he could go, and actually passed his new flying friend, then skidded to a stop and reared up on his hind legs. The hawk screeched happily and flew around him a couple of times, before returning to the sky. About that time, Prince heard his family calling him. Reluctantly, he turned from watching the hawk and ran back to his family."  
  
The vampire paused to gather his thoughts, then continued. "A few days later, Prince was resting in his dog house in the back yard, when he caught sight of a strange dog outside the fence. Wanting to defend his territory, he got up and barked at the dog, but his collar that was chained to his house wouldn't allow him to get close enough to properly defend his territory. So, what did he do? He slipped his collar and leaped over the fence after the strange dog. He chased the dog until he had lost sight of it. He was certain that he was out of his territory, anyway, so he turned to go home, but suddenly, a loop went around his neck and tightened! Prince was trapped. He growled and snarled, shaking his head and trying to escape, but that only made the loop get tighter. He was dragged over to a truck and thrown in the back, into a cage."  
  
"Oh no!", Dawn said. "How does he get out?"  
  
"I'm getting there, Bit. The truck was a pound truck. And he wasn't wearing his collar. The truck took him to a pound far from his home, in a different part of town where the buildings were all run down and broken. There, he was pulled from the truck and thrown into another cage with two other dogs. A female German Shepard mix, and a male Husky. Prince and the Husky, who's name was Charger, didn't get along at all from the start. But the female, one Misty by name, well.. that was a different story. Prince was instantly in love. Misty on the other hand, well, she only had eyes for Charger."  
  
"That sucks," Buffy said quietly.  
  
Spike chuckled. "Yeah. It does. It's.. hard to be in love with someone who you know doesn't want you like that. See, Misty just wanted to be friends, and Prince liked being with her so much, that he was afraid to tell her how he really felt." He took a deep breath, hoping that he hadn't been *too* obvious with that remark, then continued. "Anyway. The pound had rules. In order to make room for new arrivals, dogs that had been there longer than a month had to be.. eliminated."  
  
"Eliminated?", Dawn asked. "You mean put to sleep!?"  
  
"Unfortunately, yeah," the vampire replied. "And the pound marked the cages with a red notice that had the unlucky animal's name on it. One day, when they came back from their evening run in the exercise yard, there was a red notice on their cage door. Prince stood up and read it. It wasn't his, and it wasn't Misty's. Charger's time would be up in three days. Now, Prince was secretly excited by this. Once Charger was out of the way, he could finally tell Misty how he felt. But Misty was destroyed. She loved Charger, and didn't want to live without him. She confided in Prince that if Charger was put down, she would stop eating. Prince couldn't allow that, so he began coming up with a plan to get all three of them out of there. See, he'd rather save Charger and keep Misty happy, than be able to tell her that he loved her, and know that she would still be broken-hearted over Charger."  
  
Against his back, Buffy nodded. "Makes sense."  
  
"Anyway, he decided that the next time that they were in the exercise yard, he would jump the fence. It wasn't any higher than the one in his yard, anyway. Then, when he distracted the guard at the gate, Charger and Misty could sneak over the fence as well. Well, the plan worked perfectly, and the three dogs were free by that night."  
  
"Yay!", Dawn said. "Now Prince can go home."  
  
Spike chuckled. "Not quite, Bit. Remember, he's in love. Misty and Charger were street dogs. They'd never had a family, and wouldn't listen to him when he tried to tell them that humans were wonderful companions. Especially children. He thought he was getting through to Misty, but Charger was adamant. No humans. So Prince stayed with them, learning the way of the streets. Finally, he felt that he could pretend no longer, and decided to strike out for home. He knew that he had no chance with Misty, and he would just have to leave. He missed his humans, and thought about them all the time. His humans probably missed him, too. He was getting worried about them, especially the youngest girl. So, one night, even though it broke his heart to do so, he said goodbye to Misty. And under the full moon, he finally got up the courage to tell her that he loved her. To his dismay, she didn't even say anything, just turned and gazed at the moon. Finally, she told him that he should go. If Charger found out, he'd kill him for sure."  
  
"I don't like Charger," Dawn said. "That's so horrible. She didn't even say goodbye?"  
  
Spike shook his head. "No. She didn't want to give him any hope. Prince was heart-broken. He left, but wasn't heading anywhere in particular. He knew he should head for where his heart told him that home was, but he just couldn't do it. He found himself in a railroad yard, and found a hollowed out place near a track to lie down. What was the point anymore? His family had probably gotten a new dog. Misty couldn't love him. Prince was seriously considering throwing himself in front of the next train and ending his miserable life."  
  
"No!", Buffy said. "There's hope! He has to see that there's hope. Even when you're heart-broken, you have to see past it."  
  
Spike nodded again. "Yeah, but is it that easy to see without someone to tell you that? Prince had no one. He was all alone in the world. The longer he lay there, the more he allowed self-pity to rule, the more he became convinced that his life didn't have meaning, and that he should end it. In his mind, the bugle had sounded. He couldn't go on. He couldn't even start. He had nothing left, just an empty heart. There wasn't a road he knew that lead to anywhere. Without a light, he knew he would stumble in the darkness of his mind, so to him, it made more sense just to lay right down and decide not to go on."  
  
A tear ran down Dawn's cheek. "This is so sad. Does it have a happy ending?"  
  
Spike squeezed her gently. "Let me finish, and you'll see." Took another deep breath. "Then, the sun broke through the clouds, and a single ray seemed to shine from heaven right onto him. He looked up, thinking that he could move away from the light, and was shocked to see a hawk circling above, coming lower and lower. He watched the bird. Could it be possible? Yes! It was the same hawk that he'd befriended in the field on that day so long ago! The hawk landed nearby and called to him. It was like a sign from on high. A voice calling for him to remember who he was. If he lost himself, his courage would soon follow, so he had to be strong, and remember who he was."  
  
"Yay, hawk!", Buffy said happily.  
  
"Prince stood up, his eyes locked on the bird, and shook the dust from his coat. The hawk was right. He had to get home. Thoughts of his family had brought him this far, they could get him home. He was a soldier right then. Fighting in a battle to be home once again. And suddenly he knew, that was worth fighting for. He barked for the hawk to lead the way. The bird lifted into the air and flew in the direction that Prince knew that he must go. He followed the bird through the train yard, ducking under parked trains and crossing over tracks. Finally, they reached a small hill that over looked Prince's old neighborhood. The hawk called from above, and Prince was suddenly filled with the knowledge that something was wrong. He had to get home, right that instant. He'd always been fast, but now he ran like the wind. He shot down the hill and into town. He cut across streets, barely missing being hit by several cars. He dodged around people on sidewalks and shot through a drainage pipe. His heart knew the way, so he let it lead. He ran as fast as he could, the wind whipping his ears and tail. Finally he turned onto his own street, and saw his house. There was a burglar trying to break into the window! He charged, barking at the top of his lungs. The burglar saw him and panicked, he turned to run, jumping over a fence and into the neighbor's yard, Prince followed. He was gaining on the burglar, but needed a way to take him down. That's when he saw the Mack truck. He passed the burglar, leaped up onto the hood, then the cab, then the trailer, ran the length of the trailer, and dove off, just as the burglar ran beneath him. He hit the burglar full force on his back, and knocked the human to the ground. He held him there until the police arrived and arrested him, then the poor dog collapsed from exhaustion."  
  
"Oh no!", Dawn said. "He's okay, though, right?"  
  
Spike grinned. "Again, you're getting ahead of me. Turned out that the burglar had been terrorizing that neighborhood for quite some time. The police were very grateful to Prince for capturing him, and they payed for a vet to check him out. During this check, a microchip was located in his ear that gave his home address and phone number. His family was called, and they came and picked him up. After a few days, he was as good as new. Mostly."  
  
"Mostly?", Buffy asked. "He's home! Why isn't he-" She paused, her mouth forming an 'o' when she realized it. "Misty."  
  
Spike nodded. "Yeah. He was home, but he'd left a part of his heart back there on that bluff under the full moon."  
  
Dawn sniffed. "That's not fair. I want a happy ending."  
  
"I didn't say that was the end, did I?", Spike said with a grin. "One day, about a month later, Prince was laying in his backyard, watching his humans play, when he caught a scent. At first, he thought he was losing his mind. He'd thought about her so often that now he was smelling her. Then, he heard a bark from the gate that lead to the front yard. Still thinking he was halucinating, he turned around, and froze. There was Misty, alone, standing outside his gate."  
  
Dawn and Buffy smiled.  
  
"Well, at first, Prince didn't know what to do. He just stood there, staring at her. He shook his head and looked again, but she was still there. He wasn't dreaming. He gave a happy bark that she returned, and ran to the gate. Misty leaped over the gate, and the two dogs allowed themselves to collide and fall to the ground in a tangle of wagging tails and scrabbling legs. When they'd gotten through with their initial greeting, Prince asked where Charger was. Misty told him that it was Charger who had told her to go. After Prince had left, Misty'd been miserable. Finally, Charger realized that Misty really loved Prince. Not wanting to stand in the way of her happiness, he had told her to go. She'd argued at first, but Charger'd insisted, so she left to find him. And here she was. Prince's family loved Misty, and they adopted her on the spot, she became a permanent addition to the family, and was never a stray again. As for Prince.. Well, lets just say that Austrailian and German Shepherds make beautiful puppies." Deep sigh. "And they lived happily ever after," the vampire concluded.  
  
Simultaniously, both Summers hugged him tightly. "That was a great story," Dawn said, nuzzling under his chin happily.  
  
"Yeah, Spike," Buffy agreed, squeezing him from behind. "Really nice story. And look. The storm's stopped. We can go to sleep, now."  
  
Dawn raised herself up to look over Spike at her sister. "Can we stay here anyway? I'm comfortable."  
  
Buffy laughed a little. "Of course. Assuming Spike wants to stay as well."  
  
Spike yawned. "Does that answer your question?"  
  
Buffy grinned and snuggled back down behind him. "Works for me."  
  
Dawn cuddled to the vampire's chest. "Me too." Slowly, the trio fell into a deep and wonderful sleep.   
  
Unbeknownst to them, Joyce had been standing outside the door for quite some time, and had heard all of Spike's story. She came into the room quietly, and pulled the covers up over the three of them. She turned to leave, then turned back and looked at them. She smiled at them one last time, and closed the door. Suddenly, as she considered their positions, a hidden meaning in the vampire's story suddenly appeared. Joyce sighed as she returned to her room. She said quietly, to no one in particular, "I hope he realizes, someday, that he isn't a stray anymore, either."  
  
============================================================================================  
  
Author's Notes 2: Whoo. That is the single longest chapter to anything I've ever written by myself. And the story? I'm going to add a disclaimer, just because it was inspired by the music from the movie: Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimmarron. The music doesn't belong to me. Except for my copy of the soundtrack, lol. Oh, and yes, I have written a book. It's currently in publishing and will be out in time for Christmas this year. The title is Tigerwolf, and no, it isn't an autobiography, =).  
  
Here's what the back of the book will say:  
  
About The Book:  
  
Tigerwolf, once active in the infamous Renegade Wolves, finds his true self when he joins the Lion Team in Lynn Ridge, California. This elite police task force is headed by Rupert, a lion from Great Britain, who becomes Tigerwolf's mentor.  
  
When Tigerwolf attends the California State Police Academy near San Francisco, a mystery involving Renegade Wolf spies deepens. He requires the assistance of his Austrailian Shepherd classmate, Andy, and his Lion Team partner, Alex, a hyena with a playful nature, to get to the bottom of the mystery before lives are lost.  
  
Ever present danger from the Renegades, locally headed by the murderous Blackfire, plagues the city and surrounding areas. Gripping action/drama involves animatronic dinosaurs at the Lynn Ridge Museum of Natural History.   
  
While affirming friendships and his love for the beautiful white cat Annabelle, Tigerwolf thrives on the adventure of overcoming the evil acts of the Renegade Wolves.   
  
The unforgettable Tigerwolf has promised himself that he will not rest until Blackfire and his minions are brought to justice.  
  
  
(It will be available from 1stbooks.com, Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and at a bookstore near you. Just in time for Christmas!)  
  
Nothing like a little shameless self promotion wherever I can get it, lol. As always, PLEASE REVIEW!!! Thank you! 


	5. Looking For Love

Disclaimer, Summary, ect.: See first and third chap.  
  
Author's Notes: Wow. Two more reviews, and I'll be at a hundred reviews. That's incredible to me. I don't have any fics with more than twenty five reviews, except for this one. Whoo. Well, as for actual Author's Notes this time, I don't have many. Maybe I'll get more by the end of this chap, lol. But, I can tell you how I see the story in the last chap. Yes, Prince did symbolize Spike, in a way, and Misty was Buffy, but this was more than the whole story. The story had alot of interpretations, but the main point is that Spike may be somewhere, but he still doesn't feel as if he belongs. As Joyce observes at the end of the chap. The second point is that Prince was in love with Misty, and she was clueless, thinking of them as just good friends. See where I'm going? There are a couple of other hidden meanings. But that's the main two. Now, here's more of the incredibly popular Test Subject....  
  
==============  
Chapter 5  
Looking For Love  
==============  
  
Spike had now been living with the Summers family for over a month, and things had just gotten better. He was really settled in, and instead of living on the couch, the girls had insisted that he move into the basement. He now had his own bed, and a little fridge for blood, a bookcase, and a recliner of his own. All in all, it was a very comfortable room for the vampire. Just the same, he was very seldom down there. Like right now, for instance.  
  
"I still don't get it," Dawn said. "The little castles only go straight, but the horsies go in an L?"  
  
Spike nodded. "Yeah. And the 'horsies' are called 'knights', and the castles are rooks."  
  
"Ah. And how do the bishops move?"  
  
"Diagonals only. On the same color that they start on."  
  
"So this one," she said, pointing at the bishop next to the her white queen. "Can only go on black squares, and the other one only on white?"  
  
"You've got it," Spike said with a chuckle. "Now, quit stalling. You're just acting like you're confused because I'm winning. Your move."  
  
Dawn pouted. "Fine." She jumped her knight across the row of pawns and left it in front of her bishop. "There."  
  
Spike slid his rook six spaces forward, three in front of her king. "Check."  
  
Dawn snorted, and moved her king backwards and left. "Not now."  
  
The game continued, with Dawn playing incredibly well for someone who was just learning Chess, for another two hours. Finally, Spike managed to corner her king through a move that she made him explain three times just to assure herself that the vampire wasn't cheating. "Checkmate, Bit."  
  
"Rats." She grinned. "Two out of three?"  
  
Spike chuckled. "You're on, Niblet." He set the pieces up again, and the two began again. This time, the game lasted less than an hour, and Dawn won. "Ha! Checkmate, Spikey."  
  
Spike snorted. "Yeah. I let you win."  
  
"You did NOT! I won because I'm good. And we still have to play one more time to see who wins." She gave him an evil grin. "Wanna play for stakes?"  
  
Spike cocked his head. "I'm assuming you don't mean the wooden kind?"  
  
She laughed. "No! I mean a bet. Privledges."  
  
Spike shrugged. "Sure, I guess. What kind of privledges?"  
  
She giggled. "If I tell you, you can't back out, cause you already agreed, okay?"  
  
The vampire closed his eyes. "Now I know I'm not going to like this. What's the privledges?"  
  
She grinned. "Tickling privledges. If I win, I can tickle you for as long as I want, any time I want, for a- No. For TWO weeks."  
  
Spike's eyes got big. "Shit." He shook his head, but agreed. "And when I win, I get the same on you, then?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. But you're not going to win."  
  
"We'll see, Bit. We'll see."  
  
==============================================================================================  
  
Buffy and Joyce came home from shopping, and dropped their bags in the kitchen. Both were suprised that the youngest Summers and their vampire houseguest weren't in the living room watching a movie. Buffy cocked her head, hearing something from upstairs. She shot a look at her mom, who shrugged. The two made their ways up the stairs, both carrying weapons, just in case. When they reached the door of Dawn's room, both lowered their weapons. The sounds of struggling that were coming from the bedroom were combined with the sounds of hysterical laughter and a British voice begging for mercy.  
  
Buffy grinned at her mother and opened the door, revealing Spike thrashing around on the bed as Dawn tickled him unmercifully. Dawn looked up, not pausing her assult. She grinned at her sister and mother. "He lost Chess."  
  
Joyce chuckled and leaned on the doorframe, watching as Buffy joined her sister in attacking the vampire, helping to hold him still.  
  
"Nooot faaaairrr!", Spike howled, laughing uncontrolably. "Stooooop!"  
  
Buffy and Dawn giggled and kept up their attacks, going for the weak spots that they now had an intimate knowledge of. There was a spot, high on his ribs, just between the second and third ribs, that would make him go absolutely crazy. And they were torturing the spot on both sides, bringing the vampire to tears. "Pleeeeeeaaaasssseeee!!!??"  
  
From the doorway, Joyce called to her daughters, "Alright, girls. He's had enough now."  
  
Obediently, the girls both stopped their tickling and sat back, giggling at the panting vampire. "You okay, Spike?", Dawn asked playfully.  
  
Spike was still rather unable to respond, due to a fit of giggles that hadn't quite ended yet. Buffy laughed. "Come on, Dawn. Let's help him out a bit." The sisters began gently scratching the vampire's ribs and stomach, getting rid of the itching that they'd caused. This also caused Spike to start purring quietly.  
  
After a moment, they stopped their scratching, and Spike moved up to the head of the bed and leaned against the headboard, still panting slightly. Dawn crawled up next to him and snuggled against his side. Instinctivly, Spike put an arm around her.  
  
Buffy, who was sitting sideways on the edge of the bed, smiled at them. "Since you're so tired now, Spike, you don't have to come patroling tonight, if you don't want to."  
  
Spike chuckled and shook his head. "And miss the chance to kill some nasties with you? Never." Their time together was beginning to mean more to him than he was willing to admit. Spike was falling in love with her, but he didn't want to risk their friendship by telling her that. It was like the dogs in the story that he'd told them a month earlier. As it was, he jumped at the chance to spend time with her, be it patroling, or playing, or anything else she wanted to do.  
  
Buffy smiled. Spike was always willing to come patroling with her. They'd been spending alot of time together lately, and Buffy couldn't be happier. She had no idea why they'd had such a hard time getting along before that fun night at Giles' over a month and a half earlier. They had alot in common. More than they knew.  
  
============================================================================================  
  
"-really nice, and he said that.. Hello, Earth to Spike?" She waved her hand in front of his face. "Spike? Hello?"  
  
"Huh?", the vampire said, slightly startled. "Oh, sorry, luv. I was just thinking."  
  
"Well, did you hear me?", Buffy asked, twirling her stake expertly. They were about an hour into patrol, and had only found a small nest of vamps, and three demons.  
  
Spike gave her a sheepish look. "No. I'm sorry, luv. Really."  
  
She sighed. "Well, see if I ever tell *you* something important again."  
  
He chuckled. "Sorry. I'm listening now. Tell me again?"  
  
She grinned. "Well, I was in the college library, and I accidentally dropped some books off a high shelf, and they hit this guy."  
  
"Hurt him?"  
  
She whacked his shoulder. "No! Anyway, he was really nice about it. And he even invited me out for coffee! His name's Riley Finn."  
  
Outwardly, Spike didn't react, inwardly, his heart fell into his left shoe. "So.. You're going on a date?"  
  
Buffy shrugged. "Not really. It's just coffee. Not a date." Hmm. She'd kind of hoped that he'd object to this.  
  
Spike trotted ahead a ways, then waited for Buffy to catch up. "Good for you, Slayer. It's good that you're over my poof of a Grandsire."  
  
Buffy caught up to him, chewing her lip. "Well.. I'm not really, to tell you the truth. But it is time to move on. Don't you think? I mean, that's why Angel left in the first place, so that I could move on."  
  
Spike snorted. "Yeah. Break you heart for you own good. That's really good reasoning."  
  
She ignored that. "What about you? Do you think you'll ever be over Drusillia?"  
  
The vampire's eyes clouded. "I doubt it. At least, not for quite some time."  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. I get that."  
  
The pair walked on in silence for awhile, pausing only to take out a pair of fledgling vamps. Finally, Buffy broke the silence. "Do you think it's possible?"  
  
Spike was confused. "Possible to what?"  
  
She sighed. "Possible to fall in love more than once in a lifetime."  
  
Spike cocked his head. "I really don't know. I've been in love three times in my entire life and unlife. One totally rejected me, the second dumped me after a hundred years... And the third isn't really relivant here." He hoped he hadn't said too much.  
  
She nodded. "I think I've been in love once that I'm sure of, and a second time that I'm not sure of yet." She bit her lip. "I think I should talk to mom about this."  
  
Spike nodded. "Yeah. I think I'm gonna need to talk to Joyce when we get home, too." He looked at her. "Are you going to go?"  
  
She looked at him. "Go where?"  
  
"For coffee with that guy you dropped the books on."  
  
She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "Yeah.. I think so. And if that goes well, I'll see what happens. Riley seems like a good guy. And normal. Something that I'm sorely lacking lately. I mean... Look at me. I have a friend who's a practicing witch, another tentitive friend who used to be a vengence demon, and I'm living with a ticklish vampire in my basement," she finished with a giggle, looping her arm through his and leaning her head on his shoulder.  
  
Spike chuckled. "Yeah? Well, look at me. Former Big Bad, who now has a chip in my brain, can't hunt humans, and is living with the Slayer's family." He gave her a sideways hug as they walked. "And loving it, I might add."  
  
Buffy giggled. "Yeah. Me too. And Mom and Dawn love you. You're like Dawn's... fangy big brother. Teaching her chess, and playing with her all the time. And Mom just loves having someone else who can cook for when she's tired from work. You're a big hit."  
  
Spike laughed a little. "Yeah. Your biological family loves me. As for the rest of your Scoobies, I don't think they like me much."  
  
Buffy sighed. "Well... Willow likes you. She's a little nervous around you, but I think she likes you. I know Giles likes you. Anya.. She doesn't care, really. She's been focused on Xander for awhile now. And Xander.. I won't sugar coat it. He hates you. Alot."  
  
Spike snorted. "The feelin' is mutual."  
  
She laughed. "Yeah. I know. Well, he'll put up with you because I like you. So you don't have anything to worry about."  
  
Spike paused, allowing Buffy to move a couple paces ahead of him. "Yeah," he muttered. "Nothing to worry about."  
  
===============================================================================================  
  
Two nights later, and Buffy was out on her 'not date' with Riley Finn, and Dawn was spending the night at a friend's house, leaving Spike home alone until Joyce got home from the Gallery. He spent the time lounging on the couch, watching reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond.  
  
Finally, the door opened and Joyce came home. "Spike?"  
  
"Living room." He got up and took her purse and jacket. "Would you like me to fix you something for dinner, ducks?"  
  
Joyce sighed. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble. I take it Buffy's on her date?"  
  
Spike barely concealed a snort. "Yeah. Left an hour ago. And Bit's over at Kelly's." He headed for the kitchen. "I think we've got some left over lasagna from last night. Want it?"  
  
Joyce settled on the couch. "Yes. Will you join me, Spike?"  
  
Spike stuck his head around the corner from the kitchen. "Well.. Sure, I guess."  
  
Joyce sighed. "Good."  
  
Spike brought two plates of warmed up lasagna in and settled on the couch next to Joyce. "Rough day in the world of art?"  
  
Joyce chuckled. "Let's just say it was surreal with a little post-impressionism thrown in for variety."  
  
Spike chuckled. "That bad, huh?"  
  
"Oh, let's not talk about it." She took a bite of lasagna. "Mm. It's even better the second time. So, what's new with you?"  
  
Spike swallowed. "I think I might be in love with your daughter." His eyes got huge. Why the HELL had he told her THAT!?  
  
Joyce, for her part, just made an interested 'hmm'ing noise. "Isn't Dawn a bit young for you?"  
  
Spike choked. "Huh!? No, I meant-"  
  
Joyce sat her plate on her lap and patted him on the shoulder with a laugh. "I know what you meant, Spike. You just looked so.. serious. I thought I'd help you calm down."  
  
Spike shook his head with a chuckle. "Alright. It worked." He looked at her hopefully. "So, you're not mad at me?"  
  
She shook her head. "I was just wondering when you'd notice it."  
  
"What?"  
  
She laughed. "Ever since you moved in here, and probably before. The way you look at her, talk to her. The way you react when she's near you, when you play together. It's been obvious to me for some time."  
  
Spike chuckled. "And I just figured it out last week." He sighed. "And now she's out with another guy."  
  
Joyce finished eating and put her empty plate on the coffee table. She reached over and gently scratched at the back of Spike's neck, something that Buffy had shown her to help her calm him down. "It'll be okay, Spike. Buffy is very picky about the people she lets into her heart. You're already in there, whether or not you belive it."  
  
The vampire sighed and leaned on Joyce's shoulder, allowing her to continue her scratching. "You really think so?"  
  
Joyce nodded and rubbed small circles on his back. "Of course. She already knows what a great guy you are." She gently kissed the top of his head in a motherly way and gave him a sideways hug. "Spike, what's your name?"  
  
He pulled back and cocked his head at her. "Joyce, you know my name. Did a painting fall on your head today or something?"  
  
Joyce laughed. "Not 'Spike'. What's your real name?"  
  
Spike sighed. "William. William Edwards Junior." This must be flashback day. "I was.. a poet. Sort of."  
  
Joyce smiled and hugged him again. "Does Buffy know that?"  
  
"My name, or the other thing?"  
  
"Both."  
  
Spike sighed and shook his head. "Name, yes. First only. As for the rest, no. In fact, you're the first person that I've told in.. well, ever."  
  
Joyce smiled. "Well then, I suppose you had a reason."  
  
Spike smiled and shook his head. "Yeah. Although I don't know what it was."  
  
Joyce stood up, taking their plates to the kitchen. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure this out."  
  
Deep sigh. "I wish I was so sure." But he had figured something out. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to go to the drastic measures that their conversation had brought to his mind. It would all depend on what Buffy said when she got home.  
  
===============================================================================================  
  
Author's Notes 2: Man, I want to thank the person who suggested bringing Riley in. (I hate him too, btw.) It's a perfect twist to this. So thank you. Also, I prolly won't be posting again untill Thursday, as part of my personal observance of the September 11 anniversary. May all those brave souls rest in peace. We will never forget. 


	6. Shopping Disease

Disclaimer, Summary, ect: See chap 1.  
  
Author's Notes: Well, not much to say this chap. Except that I will not kill off Riley. I hate him, but I don't wanna kill him. Well, not all the time, anyway. Rest assured, though. Buffy will come to her senses. That's the way I write!  
  
==============  
Chapter 6  
Shopping Disease  
==============  
  
Shopping. Not a bad way to spend an evening, really. Especially since Spike was in the company of his three favorite humans.  
  
"Okay," Joyce said, looking at her list. "Hmm. Spike, Dawn, you two go get sugar, milk, macaroni and cheese, frozen pizza, and.. Oh, just take this half of the list."  
  
Spike chuckled and accepted the half of the list that Joyce handed him. "Don't worry, Joyce. We'll meet you and Buffy in the frozen foods." He and Dawn went to get their own basket, and their half of the groceries.  
  
Buffy watched until she was sure that the vampire and her sister were out of hearing range, then, "Mom? I have a problem."  
  
Joyce pushed their basket toward the vegitables. "What is it, dear?"  
  
The Slayer sighed. "I think I'm in love."  
  
Joyce smiled at her. "Oh? And why is that a problem?"  
  
"Because it's with two guys at once."  
  
Her mother frowned. "That *is* a problem. May I ask who they are?"  
  
Buffy picked up a pear and frowned at it. "Riley. And... Well, can we just deal with this one at a time?"  
  
Joyce took the pear, put it down, then picked up a better one and placed it in her bag. "Alright. It seems pretty simple to me."  
  
Buffy picked up a peach and sniffed it. Frowned, and put it back. "Simple? This is not simple. This is... impossible!"  
  
"Who did you love first?"  
  
"Sp- The other guy."  
  
"Then go with him." Inwardly, Joyce sighed. Another vampire. Oh, well. At least she liked this one. And trusted him. Unlike that Angel fellow. He was bad news from the start.  
  
"It's not that easy, Mom! He's... he's.. There're reasons that it wouldn't work. Besides, he's my friend."  
  
Joyce had to say it. "Xander?"  
  
"NO!" She nearly dropped her banana. "No. Not Xander. Another.. friend guy."  
  
"Just tell Spike how you feel."  
  
"I can't. He- MOM!" She did drop the banana that time, but caught it before it fell too far. She gave her mom an incredulous look. "You knew?!"  
  
Joyce chuckled and nodded. "It *was* rather obvious, dear. It was either Spike, or Mr. Giles. And I seriously doubted the second possibility."  
  
Buffy made a face. "Eww. A world of no on that one." She sighed. "Am I really that obvious?"  
  
"Only to your mother." Joyce picked up a bunch of bananas and bagged them. "And why wouldn't it work? Spike cares for you, you know."  
  
"I know." She laughed a little. "Did you know he purrs?"  
  
Joyce smiled and nodded. "Yes. He's like a big cat at times."  
  
Buffy smiled. "Okay. I'll do it." She shook her head. "Wait a minute. I can't tell him! I'm not even sure of it yet. And besides. He probably just thinks of me as a friend, anyway."  
  
Joyce sighed. If only she could tell her daughter what their vampire had told her two weeks earlier. But she wouldn't betray his confidence. Not directly. "You might be suprised, Buffy. Spike is a very... complex person."  
  
"Unperson."  
  
"Whatever."  
================================================================================================  
  
"Last thing's the sugar," Dawn said from her perch on the end of the basket that Spike was pushing. At thirteen years old, she didn't think that she'd quite outgrown riding on the end of the basket yet. "Then we can go find Mom and Buffy."  
  
Spike was scanning the signs that said what was on each isle. "Sugar.. sugar. Sugar. There it is." He turned the basket onto the isle. The sugar was at the far end. However, the closer he got, the weirder he started feeling. Nauseaous. Dizzy. He shook his head to clear it and kept pushing. Got a bag of sugar and turned the basket around to go back in the other direction. The feelings got worse. Spike was really feeling as if he was going to hurl. Which was supposed to be impossible for a vampire. He clamped his jaws shut, holding one hand to his stomach and rubbing gently. Trying to get the nausea to pass. Dawn was saying something, but he wasn't paying attention, he was too busy trying to keep his breakfast down.  
  
"-and then she.." Dawn trailed off, looking at her companion with her head cocked sideways. "Spike? Are you okay? You look paler than usual."  
  
He shook his head. "Somethin' s not right, Bit. I don't feel so good." Blinked hard, cause his vision was going a little. Once they got out of the isle where the sugar had been, he started feeling a bit better. He leaned on the cart a little. "Ooh. What was on that isle besides sugar?"  
  
Dawn got off the end of the basket to walk to his end and pat him on the back a little. She glanced up at the sign. "Flour, spices, canola oil, sugar." Her eyes got wide. "Uh-oh. Spices. That means garlic powder. Did the garlic powder make you sick?"  
  
He shook his head. "I'm not sick. But that is probably what caused it. I'm okay, now." He motioned to the end of the basket. "Go on, get back on and let's find the family, shall we?"  
  
Dawn gave him one last worried look, before climbing back on the end of the basket. She still didn't like his color. Too pale with a hint of green. That was not normal. He'd looked kind of like that a few days earlier when her mom had forgotten about his 'allergies' and made garlic spagetti sauce. "Are you sure that you're okay?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah. Fine." Too bad his stomach didn't agree with him.  
==============================================================================================  
  
A couple of hours later, they were back home, and all the groceries had been put up. Spike was down in his basement, laying on the bed, trying to will away the nausea that he was still feeling. He licked his lips slightly. This was most definitely *not* a good feeling. Not a good feeling at all.  
  
"Spike?" Buffy's voice. "Are you okay? We're about to put on a movie."  
  
"Not so sure I should get up right now, luv. Not really feelin' up to a movie."  
  
Buffy came downstairs and sat on the edge of the bed. "Dawn told us about the garlic powder." She put a hand on his forehead. "You don't feel hot or anything. But I guess you'd have to have a pretty high fever to feel hot to me, huh?"  
  
Spike licked his lips again. "Yeah. About twenty degrees above normal, for me."  
  
Buffy cocked her head. "You know, when Dawn or I get nauseaous, mom gives us flat coke. It really helps."  
  
Spike sighed. "I don't think that would work for me. My stomach doesn't exactly work like your's, luv." Gave her a half smile. "Thanks for caring, though."  
  
She smiled down at him, gently stroking a hand over his hair. "Like I wouldn't care about you. I lo-" Swallowed. "Care about you. You're my friend, and Dawn's surrogate big brother. My mom loves you. Dawn loves you."  
  
He swallowed. "I- uh. I love them, too. And.. And I'll try to come upstairs. What're we watching?" Bloody git, he thought with a mental snort. All you had to say was, 'I love you'. Three words. Eight letters. Too hard to say.  
  
Buffy laughed a little. "Shrek. Dawn picked."  
  
Spike chuckled, his stomach feeling a little better at the prospect of spending an evening with his favorite girls. "Ok, luv. I'll be up in a minute."  
  
Buffy grinned. "Great. I'll tell Mom and Dawn to hold the movie for you." She got up and headed back upstairs. Paused at the top of the stairs turned around. "Spike?"  
  
Spike sat up slowly. "Yeah, luv?"  
  
"Remind me how your story ended. Did Prince and Misty live happily ever after?"  
  
Spike chuckled. "Yeah. They did."  
  
She swallowed. "Even though they wound up in love, did they still stay friends?"  
  
Spike stood at the bottom of the stairs. "I would think so. Maybe even better friends." Hope surfaced, unbidden. Bleedin' hell. She's not talking about you, ya git. She's prolly talking about that Riley guy.  
  
Buffy smiled. "Good." Opened the basement door. "DAWN! DON'T START THE MOVIE! SPIKE'S COMING!!" Door shut behind her.  
  
Spike shook his head and chuckled, then trotted up the stairs. Well, there was hope. He had to believe that there was hope, otherwise, this would turn into Cecily all over again.  
=============================================================================================  
  
Author's Notes 2: I know this chap was short, and I appologize. I'm also working on Out Of Time: Pleistocene Panic, remember. Oh, and please no reviews that I'm pushing the relationship. Remember that this was NOT intended to be a chaptered fic! LOL. PLEASE REVIEW!!! Thank you! 


	7. Thanks To You

Disclaimer, Summary, ect: See chap one.  
  
Author's Notes: Thank everyone for your kind reviews. But I'm depressed. :( I uploaded a new chap to Out Of Time: Pleistocene Panic last night, and it's now on the third page... with only 2 new reviews. *sniffles* I need more reviews than that, if you people want me to continue. On both this and OOT:PP. And I'm really proud of that last chap, too. I worked on it for three hours, and only two new reviews? *sniffles again* Makes me soooo sad. And, to add injury to non reviewers, I broke my toe today. (Note to self: When you really want a coke to come out of a machine, DO NOT KICK IT!!!) Anyway, now for a note that is actually about this story. In this chap, Spike recognizes Riley, but Riley doesn't see Spike. =) Also, an extra disclaimer, the song that I'm gonna have Spike *write* in this chap, is some old song that I heard on my dad's oldies station. It's not mine, but I'm gonna pretend that it's Spike's.  
  
============  
Chapter 7  
Thanks To You  
============  
  
Tummy ache. That's what Dawn called it. Halfway through watching the movie, Spike'd gotten up and run to the bathroom and puked up his blood. That had been a week earlier. Giles had been over and diagnosed the vampire with a type of undead stomach flu, acredited to a little chicken blood in his supply. The Watcher had said that he was lucky. If Spike had been human, he could very well have come down with an E. coli infection. As it was, he'd just felt really lousy for the last week.  
  
On the upside, Buffy had taken to spending the night with him, on his bed, cuddling and comforting the vampire through the worst of the cramps. And she'd held him all night several times. It had been more than a comfort for Spike, however. It had been an inspiration. In the times that he'd been alone, which wasn't that often, for one of the Summers was almost always with him, he'd turned to writing. Not poetry, however. Well... not really. It was poetry, in a way. He'd written a song. With Dawn's old keyboard that he'd found, he'd renued his old human habit of playing piano, and combined the music with his poetry. It took about four days, but he'd finally come up with a finished product that he was proud of. Now all he had to do was get Buffy alone.  
  
One day, when he wasn't feeling very nauseaous, he decided to go upstairs and see if he could find the Slayer and arrange just that. However, he didn't know that the family had company.  
  
As he approached the top of the basement stairs, he could hear four voices in the kitchen. And one of them was only vaguely familiar. That meant that it wasn't one of the Scoobies. He knew all their voices by heart at that time, and couldn't figure out who this other person was. Male. He could tell that much, and he KNEW that he had heard that voice somewhere before. Something about it... made the short hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Whoever it was, wherever he'd encountered this person, it wasn't linked to a good memory. He cracked the basement door, and looked out through the small hole, sniffing experimentally. That scent... It made him think of pain. Of fear. Of... the Initiative. If only that person would move where he could... THERE!  
  
His eyes widened, and flashed gold. A low growl rumbled from his throat before he could check it. Thankfully, Buffy seemed to be the only one who noticed it. She flashed him a smile, and motioned for him to come out. His only response was to shut the door. And go back down the stairs.  
  
Riley Finn. COMANDER Riley Finn. Now he remembered where he'd heard that name before. That... person was the one who'd observed the Inititive's tests on him. Watched, as their so-called doctors poked and prodded at him. Watched as they cut him open, without any sedatives, without any painkillers, just to see if the vampire digestive tract was any different from that of a human counterpart. Who WAS sedated, by the way. Watched as those military cronies had hurt him, and scared him, and locked him in a tiny cage, KNOWING that vampires have an innate sense of clustrophobia. Knowing that him being locked in there would all but destroy him, and not caring. He was an animal to them. Just a lab rat, without feelings or life. Deep inside, he knew that if he hadn't gotten out when he did, he would have gone insane. Same as Dru before him. Totally nutso. Maybe he'd finally hear that bloody music that she'd always been talking about.   
  
He lay down on his bed, trying to get his suddenly erratic breathing under control. He couldn't believe it. The guy that Buffy was DATING (unofficially) was one of those bleedin' army assholes! He swallowed, licked his lips, and swallowed again. This was horrible. Totally horrible. No other word for it. He was still laying there when Buffy came downstairs.  
  
"Hey." She had her head cocked to the side, and a look of worry on her face. "Are you okay? I thought you might come out and meet Riley. Did you feel sick again?"  
  
Spike sat up a little. "No. Well, sort of. You could say that I felt sick. Luv, where did you say that you met Riley?"  
  
She sat on the bed next to him. "At the college. Why?"  
  
"Cause I've seen him before. But it wasn't at the college."  
  
Buffy smiled at him. "Oh? Where?"  
  
Spike bit his lip. Now was not the time for this, his instincts told him. "Uh.. I forget. But it wasn't too long ago." He licked the lip that he'd just bit. "Are you busy right now?"  
  
She shrugged. "Not really. Dawn and Mom went out for ice cream. I wanted to stay here, cause I thought you didn't feel good." She put a hand to his forehead. "You still feel a bit clammy. Want me to stay with you tonight?"  
  
He gave a half nod. After all, it wasn't milking his condition if *she* offered to stay, right? "If it wouldn't be too much trouble." Take a leap. Go on. "Besides. I've got somethin' I'd like to... show you."  
  
She grinned. "Really? Hmm. I wonder what that could be..."  
  
He chuckled. Then licked his lips nervously. "I want to do it now, if that's okay with you. Since we're the only ones home, there's no chance of being interrupted." Ok.. That sounded a little *too* sexual. He hoped she hadn't caught it.  
  
She laughed quietly. "Alright. What do I have to do?"  
  
"Just stay there. I'll.. be right back." He got up and walked over to where he'd stored the big six octave keyboard, and took it and the stand over and set them up in front of a chair.  
  
"Gonna give me a concert?", Buffy asked with a giggle.  
  
"Somethin' like that, luv. Hang on." He went to the far side of his bed and got his notebook. He cleared his throat. "I.. uh.. wrote you a song..."  
  
Her jaw dropped slightly, then she smiled hugely. "Wow. Really? For me? It's not even my birthday or anything."  
  
He settled in his chair and turned the keyboard on. "Yeah.. well.. I needed to tell you something. I've been tryin' for some time now. Just thought that this would be easier."  
  
She settled back on the bed. "Well, then tell me." Smiled at him. I'm waitin', Spikey."  
  
He chuckled. She was getting really good at making him feel better when he was nervous, or anything, really. "Alright. Hang on. Lemme get started." He switched on pure piano on the keyboard, and began to play a medium speed tune. After a moment, he began to sing.  
  
"Not so long ago,  
I packed my bags a hundred times.  
  
Didn't seem to know,  
How to stop, or to unwind.  
  
Goin' nowhere,  
A man without a dream.  
  
Guess my lucky star,  
Fell the day you came along.  
  
To my lonely heart,  
You are like a special song.  
  
Singing sweetly,  
Your tender melody...  
  
Thanks to you,  
The child inside me lives again.  
Thanks to you,  
I have found the peace within.  
I know where I'm going,  
And what I want to do..  
Thanks to you...."  
  
Another instrumental part, during which Spike had to force himself not to look at Buffy's expression. The next part was a gamble. And he knew it. But he had to do it. It was the whole point. He began singing again.  
  
"Lying in your arms,  
I've found my greatest pleasure.  
  
I look into your eyes,  
And dream about forever.."  
  
He chanced a glance at the Slayer. To his suprise, she not only wasn't mad, there were tears streaming down her cheeks. It gave him the courage to continue. Time to finish the song. Deep, unneeded breath.  
  
"Wakin' up with you,  
And looking forward to the day.  
  
What we plan to do,  
Knowin' anything at all's okay.  
  
Life has a meaning,  
And love has got a name...  
  
Thanks to you,  
The child inside me lives again.  
Thanks to you,  
I have found the peace within.  
I know where I'm going,  
And what I want to do..  
Thanks to you..  
  
Thanks to you."   
  
He trailed off, and played the instrumental ending of the song. Deep sigh. Well, he'd done it. Now it was time to get her reaction. Swallowed and looked up. "Well, luv? What do you think?" Bit his lip. Please. Anything but... patronism. Please don't let her say that I'm... beneath her... Swallowed. "Well?"  
  
Buffy wiped at her eyes and sniffled. "Spike... I.. you're... that was wonderful."  
  
His jaw dropped slightly before he could check it. "Really?"  
  
She smiled, still swiping at tears. "Yeah. Beautiful, and wonderful, and good.. I can't believe.. That was for me?"  
  
He nodded, feeling the strange sensation of an almost heartbeat begin within him. Nervousness, or excitement, always did that to him. Said it without thinking. "Every syllable."  
  
She stood up, walked over to him, and hugged him tightly. "Thank you. That has to be the single most wonderful, nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me." She pulled back. "Were you saying what I think you were saying?"  
  
He shivered a little, and tried to convince himself that it was from the stomach flu. "If.. if you think that I was trying to tell you that I.. that I love you.. you're right." Swallowed and continued quickly. "Of course, if that's not what you thought I was saying, ignore my last comment and replace it with 'what did you think I was sa-' " He was interruped when she gently pressed her lips to his, cradling his face in her hands.  
  
When they parted, she smiled shyly at him. "What took you so long?"  
  
He was a little flustered. "Well I... what about Riley?"  
  
She kissed him again. "Forget Riley. I love you, Spike. I have for over a month now. I was.."  
  
"Scared," he finished for her. "Me too. And I couldn't figure out how to tell you, so I..."  
  
"Wrote me the most beautiful musical poem that I've ever heard?"  
  
"Well, yeah.." He cocked his head at her. "Wait a minute. Musical poem?"  
  
She nodded sheepishly. "Yeah.. Mom kind of.. slipped about you being a poet when you were human."  
  
He closed his eyes. "Bloody hell."  
  
"Way to ruin the mood, Casonova."  
  
He chuckled, then looked at her wonderingly. "You.. love me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
She laughed quietly. "I know." Stepped back from him. "I'll be right back. I'm not spending the night down here in my day clothes."  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah. I'll change, too."  
  
A few minutes later, they were curled together on his bed, with Buffy against his back, her arm around his side, rubbing his stomach gently. Even though most of the symptoms of the 'stomach flu' had suddenly vanished. Spike was beginning to believe that the whole thing had just been nerves. They were both really close to dozing off, but there was something that he had to say.  
  
"Luv?"  
  
"Mmm?", came the sleepy reply from behind him. He could feel her warm breath on the back of his neck.  
  
"I love you, Buffy Summers."  
  
Quiet chuckle from behind. "And I love you... William Edwards Junior."  
  
"Bloody hell."  
  
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Author's Notes 2: Ok. This can be the end. Or I can go on, IF I get enough reviews for both this AND Out Of Time. Let's say... 145-150 for this, and 40 for Out Of Time? Total, I mean. On each? Please? Or I can just end this here. Leave life post 'I love you's to your imaginations. One sure way to tell. Review if you want more, don't review if you want me to stop. Fair? I think so. =) 


	8. Ya Think Ya Know A Guy

Disclaimer, Summary, ect: See chap 1.  
  
Author's Notes: Ok, ok. You talked me into it. This will have three more chaps, ending at an even ten chapters. This chap, dealing with Spike telling Buffy about how he knows Riley, the next one, dealing with the Scoobies reaction to their relationship, and a final chap of just Spuffy fluff. I hope you're happy. lol. These chaps will be short, but at least I'm continuing. Remember! I've still got OOT:PP to work on!  
  
  
=====================  
Chapter 8  
Ya Think Ya Know A Guy...  
=====================  
  
A week. A week of pure heaven. At least, as far as everyone in the Summers household was concerned. Buffy and Spike were spending so much time together that they practicly seemed to be attached at the hips, and Dawn and Joyce couldn't be happier. Spike had become a vampire Martha Stewart, cleaning and cooking, just because he felt like it. When he was in a good mood, Joyce rarely had to do anything, and he was in a good mood all the time, now.  
  
Even patroling seemed easier than usual, with Spike and Buffy going together every night, hardly any nasties were even daring to come out. This, of course, lead to alot of goofing off during patrols. And smoochies. And just basic sillyness. Like what they were doing now.  
  
"Where are you, Slayer?", Spike called, walking around the jungle gym. "Come on. I can smell you, luv. I'm gonna find you soon enough. So why don't you just save yourself the trouble and- OOF!"  
  
He'd walked under the monkey bars. The same monkey bars that Buffy'd been perched atop. She swung down, knocking him onto the soft padding of the pile of wood chips and sand that surrounded the playground. "Ha! Who got who, Mr. Big Bad?"  
  
He growled playfully, and rolled over, dislodging her, then over again, the other way, reversing their previous possitions. "Why, I believe that I've got you, luv."  
  
Buffy, being the very mature person that she was, gave the only response that seemed approapriate. She stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
He chuckled. "Aw, come on. No fight? And I was so looking forward to- AHH!"  
  
Reversed the hold again, and kept it that way by attacking his ribs with her fingers. "I win," she giggled, tickling mercilessly.  
  
Spike thrashed and laughed, but finally admitted defeat, and was released. The moment both of them regained their footing, he growled loudly, and charged at her. This started a race around the park, that ended at the see-saws. Panting, Buffy held up her hand for a break. Spike oblidged, leaning on a tree and grinning at her. She sighed, and layed on a see-saw, keeping it balanced. He stretched a little, then walked over to lay on the see-saw next to her.  
  
"They're beautiful, you know," Buffy said quietly after awhile.  
  
"Assuming you're talking about the stars, yes, they are." Playfully suggestive grin.   
  
She would've swatted him gently, except that she thought it would thrown off her balance. "Of course I'm talking about the stars, blood breath."   
  
"Hey, you kiss me, remember?"  
  
She ignored him, except to smile, and considered the night sky again. "I never really look anymore. I mean, they're there every night, and I just don't look."  
  
Spike gave a half nod. "Yeah. I used to look at 'em all the time. Dunno when I stopped, really. But you are right. They are beautiful. Do you know constellations?"  
  
She looked over at him. "Some. Like.. Orion's Belt. But I only know that from Men In Black."  
  
Spike chuckled. "Do you see it? Those three, right there."  
  
She looked hard. "The bright ones?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She cocked her head. "Why do they call it a belt? Looks more like... headlights."  
  
He chuckled again. "Don't think of it as lights. Think of it as... connect the dots. Now, follow my finger, and tell me what you see." He used his finger, very slowly, to trace a pattern in the sky.  
  
Buffy squinted. "A.. guy? With.. something in his hand."  
  
Spike nodded. "That's Orion the Hunter. The thing in his hand is either a bow and arrows, or a sword. I can't remember. He's hunting Leo, the lion. Right there, see? Here's the tail, and the legs..."  
  
"Yeah!" Buffy brightened immensely. "What's that long one? The group there."  
  
"Draco, the Dragon. And there's Aquarius, the water bringer. And Aries, the ram. And Taurus, the bull."  
  
"I thought Taurus was a car."  
  
"What do you think they named it after, luv?"  
  
"Oh."  
  
Spike considered the stars for a moment. "Ok, see the Big Dipper there? Looks like a big spoon."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Ok. Now, think of the end of the handle. Ignore the rest of the Dipper. Focus on the group of five stars right near the end of the handle. What's that look like to you?"  
  
Buffy considered. "A.. fish? No.. wait. OH! A dolphin!!"  
  
Spike nodded. "Yep. Delphinious, the Dolphin. Thought you'd like that one."  
  
Buffy got off her see-saw carefully, and walked to a picnic table, hopping up to sit on the table itself. Spike followed, stretching out on the bench part of the table. Buffy looked down at him. "Thought we could see better here. Less trees in the way."  
  
"Always good."  
  
They lay there in silence for awhile, then Spike moved up onto the table with her. In no time, they were lost in a passionate make-out session. That is, until they were rudely, and painfully, interrupted. Something slammed into Spike's side hard, sending him rolling off the table with a growl. He leaped to his feet, and Buffy sat up, ready to fight whatever had interrupted them, but she wasn't prepared for who she did see. "Riley?"  
  
Riley was pointing some kind of gun at Spike, and he was dressed in military garb, camos and everything. "Stay back, Buffy. That creature isn't what it seems."  
  
Spike leaned against a tree, wishing for a moment that he hadn't given up smoking at Joyce's request, cause he could really use one then. Outwardly, he was the picture of calm. Inwardly, he was shaking.  
  
Buffy gave Riley an annoyed look. "Look, Riley. I know exactly what I'm doing. Can you please leave us alone?"  
  
Riley didn't take his eyes off of Spike. "You aren't safe here, Buffy. Just let me handle-"  
  
Buffy stood up, and grabbed the rifle by the barrel, forcing Riley to look at her. "Who do you think you are, Riley Finn? Coming in here, assulting my boyfriend. I told you a week ago. It's over between us. I'm sorry if I somehow didn't communicate that point clearly enough, but you need to go now."  
  
Riley looked at Spike. "Let her go, Hostile 17."  
  
Spike shrugged. "Let her go? She's ten feet from me, mate." Time to make an admission. "I think it's you, Commander, who should let her go."  
  
Buffy looked up, confused. "Commander? Hostile 17? What the hell are you two talking about?"  
  
Riley ignored her again. "You have her in a thrall, vampire. I can tell. She'd never lower herself to being with a HST."  
  
Buffy looked to Spike this time. "HST?"  
  
Spike and Riley answered at the same time. "Hostile Sub Terrainian."  
  
Spike took a step forward. "Commander Finn is with the army blokes that shoved this bleedin' chip in my brain in the first place. He was my... observer. Watched everything they did to me. Every time they hurt me, he was there, directing them. Telling the little lab rats where to cut, and what to pull out." His voice was becomeing strained, but he steadied it as best he could, adding a growl for emphasis. "Hostile 17 was my reference number. He's one of them."  
  
Buffy's eyes got wide, but she didn't release the rifle. "Is that true, Riley?"  
  
Riley nodded. "Yes, Buffy. Now, if you'll let go of my taser rifle, I'm going to put this run away back where he belongs."  
  
"Over my dead body," Buffy said with something that sounded suspiciously like a growl. "I have something to tell you, too, *Commander* Riley Finn." She grabbed the barrel of the rifle in both hands, and bent it, curling it around like this was a Bugs Bunny cartoon, and Riley was Elmer Fudd. She didn't even pause to take in the shocked look on his face, before she continued. "I am the Slayer. Vampire Slayer. And Spike is my boyfriend, and practicly a part of my family. If you ever come near him, or touch him, or hurt him in any way..." She held up the rifle pretzel. "This is nothing, compared to what I will do to you."  
  
Riley stood there, stunned, as Buffy walked over to Spike, took his arm gently, and lead him away without even looking back. When they were out of sight, Buffy asked Spike if he'd known before, and why didn't he tell her if he did. He responded by saying that it was just a very tramatic memory for him, and he hadn't wanted to bring it up. This prompted Buffy to ask again what exactly the Inititive had done to him. This time, Spike told her. In detail.  
  
Half an hour later, Riley Finn was taken by ambulance to Sunnydale Memorial Hospital with a broken arm and nose. An early morning jogger had found him leaning against a see-saw, cradleing his bleeding nose, and had called 911. That was the last time Riley Finn had anything to do with Buffy Summers, or her boyfriend, Spike.  
  
===========================================================================================  
  
Author's Notes 2: LOL. I said I wouldn't *kill* Riley. I didn't say anything about injuring him. Also, forgive me if I've gotten the definition of HST, or Riley's rank wrong. It's been quite a while since S4, after all. Also, please forgive any misspellings of the names of constillations. It's been awhile since I've looked them up, too. Two more chaps coming at the rate of one a week. PLEASE REVIEW!! It'd be a wonderful suprise if this makes 200 reviews before it's finished. 


	9. Scoobies & Star

Disclaimer, Summary, ect: See chap 1 and 3. lol.  
  
Author's Notes: Well, we're almost there. One more chap after this one, and Test Subject is finished. This chap is the Scooby reaction chap. Enjoy.  
  
=============  
Chapter 9  
Scoobies & Star  
=============  
  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Xander said, staring open mouthed at his friend. "I knew Spike was living in your house. I am *sort* of okay with that. I even knew that you had some sort of feelings for him, which I am most definitely *not* okay with. But now you tell us that you're DATING SPIKE!"  
  
Buffy bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah..."  
  
"Buffy.. how.. why... What are you thinking!? It's just that stupid chip that keeps him from killing all of us! You KNOW that!" Crossed his arms over his chest. "Or at least, you *used* to know it." He looked to Willow. "Will, please tell me that Buffy's in a thrall, or something?"  
  
Willow's mouth was hanging open, which effectivly prevented her from answering. She fishmouthed for a moment. Then, caring best friend mode turned on. "Is he.. Nice to you, Buffy?"  
  
Xander couldn't contain his shock. "Will, you are not going along with this-"  
  
"Gimme a minute, Xander, okay?"  
  
Reluctantly, the boy nodded. Willow turned back to Buffy. "Is Spike nice to you? He doesn't try to hurt you, or anything?"  
  
Buffy nodded, latching onto the line of hope that her friend had just thrown her. "Oh yeah. He's great. And he plays with Dawn, and helps Mom around the house. And he's sweet, and romantic, and he even wrote me a poem." She sighed. "He's perfect."  
  
"If you can get past that whole 'evil, bloodsucking demon' thing," Xander muttered. The girls ignored him.  
  
Willow smiled. "Last time I saw him, you two were on the verge of killing each other. What happened in the last three and a half months?"  
  
Buffy wrinkled her nose. "I don't really know. It's like... Once I got to know him better, he wasn't so bad, you know? Once he relaxed, and really started being himself, and not trying to be the Big Bad all the time, I just couldn't help but like him, you know?"  
  
Xander butted in again. "You're telling me that he's not the same Spike we all know and despise? Gee. Now why do I find that so hard to believe?"  
  
Buffy sighed, and stood up. They'd been sitting around a secluded table at the Bronze, but right now, outside would be a much better place. "Guys, let's talk and walk, okay? And I'll try to explain better."  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the three friends were heading home, still discussing the Spike issue, but Xander'd lost a little of his venom. There hadn't been any argument that he'd put up that Buffy hadn't been able to counter. Not a single one. So he was back to the main problem. "He doesn't have a soul, Buffy."  
  
To his suprise, it was Willow who countered that argument. "Xander, think about it. There are horrible human beings. Hitler comes to mind. They have souls. They can feel guilt, and remorse. It doesn't make them any less evil. So maybe it's possible for a being without one to be no less good than a normal person. And who are we to talk about normal!? Look at you, Xander. Your most recent relationships include a giant preying mantis, a life sucking Incan mummy girl, and Cordelia Chase! You can't talk. And me. I dated a Werewolf through most of High School! I don't think we have the right to criticize Buffy's relationships anymore."  
  
As she went through this speech, Xander's head had dropped lower, and Buffy's grin had gotten wider. Willow turned to Buffy. "I'm happy if you're happy, Buffy."  
  
Xander sighed, and shrugged, giving in. "Yeah.. Okay. Fair enough. But if he so much as lays a fang anywhere near you, I am personally going to stake him."  
  
Buffy grinned again, and hugged both of her best friends in turn. "Thanks, guys. And don't worry, Xander. Spike not only doesn't want to hurt me, he can't. Chip, remember? So it's all for the best."  
  
By then, they'd reached the Summers home, and Buffy said goodnight to her friends, then headed inside. She needed to find Spike. Looked in the basement. No Spike. In the kitchen. No Spike. Upstairs, still no Spike. And no Mom or Dawn, either. She was starting to get nervous, when she saw the note taped to the fridge.  
  
"Dear Buffy,  
Dawn and I have gone out to pick up a few things, be back soon.  
Love,  
Mom  
PS: I think something's wrong with Spike. He seemed depressed earlier. Check on him for me?"  
  
Okay. So, Mom and sister accounted for. Now, where was Spike, and why was he depressed? She was about to get her jacket, and go out patroling, hoping to run into him, when she noticed a figure sitting on her back porch. She opened the door slowly, and saw that it was indeed Spike. Sitting on the back porch steps with his head in his hands. "Spike?"  
  
He turned to her. There were no tears on his cheeks, but it was obvious that he'd been crying not too long ago. "Oh.. Spike," she whispered. "What's wrong?"  
  
He shrugged. "Stupid. Don't wanna bother you." Turned back around.  
  
"Is there anything I can do?"  
  
"No." Barely hidden sniff. She moved, sat next to him on the steps, and gently patted his back. He glanced over at her. "Really want to know?"  
  
She gave him an encouraging smile. "Yeah."  
  
"My.. This dog, I'd been feeding for the last couple of weeks... He's- It's dead. Car hit it. I found 'im earlier this evenin'. When you were out with your pals. I figured I'd do a little patrol, and there he was. Just... Flattened.." His voice cracked.  
  
"Oh.." She didn't have words for this. The closest thing she could remember was when she was seven and her parakeet died. "Spike.. I'm sorry.."  
  
He leaned toward her, and she took his cue, slipping an arm around his back and letting him lean his head on her shoulder. "...was probably fast, ya know?", he whispered. "St- He probably didn't suffer, from the looks of-" Swallow. "-what was left of him.."   
  
She bit her lip, and held him to her, rubbing comforting circles on his back. Said quietly, "What was his name?"  
  
He gave a watery chuckle. "Star. He was black. White star spot on his head."  
  
"Do you.. Do you want to bury him?"  
  
"Already did, luv. Thanks for offering."  
  
She looked around. "Where?"  
  
He pointed at the tree in the far end of the yard. "O'er there. He liked big trees.."  
  
She looked at where he'd pointed. Sure enough, there was a small patch of freshly turned earth, but it was so well hidden between the fence and the tree that she probably never would've noticed it without him pointing it out to her. Chewed her lip. It was very unnoticable... "I'll be right back. Stay here, okay?"  
  
He looked a little lost when she pulled away, so she leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'm coming right back, Spike. I promise. Just gonna get something."  
  
She went into the house, and Spike just sat there, staring at the little mound. He hadn't even told anyone that he was sneaking food for the little dog. Not even Joyce. He'd been hoping to warm her up to the idea, and then maybe she'd let him keep the dog. He knew that convincing Niblet and Buffy would be easy, but he'd been working on Joyce for about a week now, without being obvious about it. And then this happened. Why couldn't he have just asked her? Just come right out and said that he was feeding a dog, and wanted to bring it inside? It was only a small dog. Which was why the driver of the car hadn't even seen him. Poor Star...  
  
Buffy came back, with her hands behind her back, chewing her lip a little. She hoped he'd like what she'd done. "Spike. I'm back. I.. uh.. brought something. For Star's grave.." Held out the brick, into which she'd carved the name STAR in capital letters. He took the brick, and looked at her, obviously confused. She shrugged. "Just thought... He deserves a proper headstone, s'all."  
  
Spike stood up, and pulled the Slayer into a tight hug, which she returned. "Thank you, luv. It's wonderful." He walked over, with Buffy right behind him, and gently pushed the brick, writing side up, into the soft ground. "Bye, Star," he whispered. "I won't forget you..."   
  
Buffy pulled him to her when he started to sniffle again, was suprised to find that she was crying as well. She glanced down at the brick. She'd dulled down her favorite dagger to carve that, and was not the least bit sorry about it. A new dagger, she could get. Helping her boyfriend get through this loss was more important. Infinitely more important. She held him, rubbing his back gently. "Shh, Spike... I'm here. It's gonna be okay... I love you. I love you.."  
  
===========================================================================================  
  
Author's Notes 2: A bit sad, I know. Star the dog is modeled after Star the cat that I was feeding for some time, and never got up the nerves to ask my mom to keep. She was hit by a car. As a kind of consolation, though, we wound up keeping her brother, Harmon. He's sitting beside me as I write this. I guess, after this weeks ep, I just was in a simi angsty mood, ya know? It was either this, or another post The Gift fic, which, I think we'll all agree, has been done before. Oh, and tell me if anyone noticed that part of this was a role reversal of the end of Fool For Love? lol. I didn't even realize I'd done that until I was reading over for typos. lol.  
  
R.I.P: Star the cat (dog). 


	10. The Flame Of Family

Disclaimer, Summary, ect: See chaps 1 & 3.  
  
Author's Notes: This is it. The final chapter, and I'm certain this time. lol. I'm gonna wrap this up with a little fluff, and a song. Now, unlike earlier and in some other fics I've done, no one's singing this song. I just... I thought it really fit where I wanted to end this, ya know? So, song lyrics will be seperate from the story. The song is Where I Belong/I Will Always Return from the Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron soundtrack. It's actually two different songs, but they have the same melody, so I'm using some lyrics from one, and some from the other. Enjoy! (Lyrics are in ~~)  
  
=================  
Chapter 10  
The Flame Of Family  
=================  
  
~I hear the wind call your name,  
The sound that leads me home again.  
It sparks up the fire,  
A flame that still burns.  
To you, I will always return.~  
  
Two months had passed since Buffy had told her friends about her relationship with Spike, and things had gotten considerably easier. Xander and Spike, well... No one would mistake them for the best of friends, that was sure. But it was.. Calm. Easy, between them. Early on, there'd been a few verbal battles, and even one thrown punch (on Xander's part, which Spike easily dodged), but things had calmed down after Spike had saved his life...  
  
"Slayer! DUCK!" Buffy did as her boyfriend asked, just in time to avoid a claw swipe from a large, ugly grey thing. She rolled and came up in a fighting stance, having retrieved her dropped sword in mid roll. She swung almost blindly, her hair in her eyes, and managed to remove the creature's head in one swipe. Hurray for Slayer instinctive aim.  
  
Not too far away, Spike was winning his own battle with one of the grey thing's nestmates. A quick snap of the neck, and it was dead. There'd been a third one, though. Where... There! The Slayer and vampire turned as one to charge at the third of the ugly grey triplets, which was at that moment attacking the rest of the Scoobies. Willow and Xander were attempting to keep it distracted while Giles tried to get a clean shot at it with his crossbow. Xander zigged when he should've zagged, and the thing hit him with a hard back hand (if you could call tenticles 'hands'), and sent him flying. Willow panicked and screamed Xander's name, giving the thing an oppertunity to slam her as well. Which it would've done, if Buffy hadn't leaped onto it's back at that very moment.  
  
"Leave them alone, you ugly blob!", the Slayer shouted, hanging on as best she could to the creature's neck. "Come on! It's me you want!" A roar from the blobby grey thing was her only answer.  
  
Spike carefully walked over to Xander, and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. The boy was stuck. He was fine, and struggling, but his shirt was caught on the wings of a giant concrete angel. He spotted Spike as he kicked at the statue and muttered for it to let him go. Spike stared up at him, an amused look on his face. Xander snorted down at him. "I'm glad you find this funny, Evil Dead. Either help me down, or leave me alone. Don't just stand there."  
  
Spike shrugged, and moved to walk away. "Suit yourself, mate."  
  
Xander struggled for a moment, then reconsidered. "Wait. Spike, come on. The others are busy. Help me down, huh? I'll-" Nearly choked on the phrase. "-owe you one."  
  
The vampire turned around, and cocked his head up at the human hanging from the statue. "You'll owe me, eh?" Gave a shrug. "I was gonna help you anyway, you know. But, since you've offered, I'll make a note of this."  
  
Xander grumbled to himself about 'opening his big mouth', as Spike climbed up the statue on the opposite side from him. It took a moment, but Spike managed to untangle Xander's shirt from the statue's wing. For a moment, he was actually holding him up by his shirt before the boy managed to get a grip on the statue's arm and hang on. "Whew," he said quietly. "I knew I hated Angel for a good reason."  
  
Spike chuckled. "Well, we have that in common, then." He started to climb back down the statue, and suddenly froze, listening. He reached out, and grabbed Xander's shirt, not allowing him to go any further down the statue. "Hang one a minute, Harris."  
  
Xander pulled against the vampire's iron grip. "Hey, Dead-boy Junior, lemme go!"  
  
At that moment, a stray crossbow bolt (one of Giles special ones with silver tips) embedded itself in the statue less than six inches below Xander. The boy froze as Spike released his shirt. "Now, you can go." Spike let go of the statue and dropped to the ground, then turned to walk away.   
  
Xander stayed frozen for a moment, then scrambled down the statue and jogged to catch up with Spike. "You just saved my life."  
  
"Yeah. And?"  
  
Xander shook his head. "You aren't supposed to do that, Spike. I hate you. You hate me-"  
  
"And Buffy loves you, Harris. I love Buffy. I don't want to see her hurt. And you bein' impaled on one of the Watcher's stray bolts would hurt her."  
  
Xander nodded. "Oh. So you saved me for Buffy?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
Xander shook his head slowly. "Well, whyever you did it, thanks, man."  
  
"You're welcome," Spike said, then cocked his head at the boy for a moment. "And 'whyever' isn't a word." Headed toward the others.  
  
Xander snorted. "Oh, farbeit for me to refute the Unliving Dictionary."  
  
============================================================================================  
  
~I can't stand the distance.  
I can't dream alone.  
I can't wait to see you.  
Yes I'm on my way home.  
  
Cause everything I want,  
Is everything that's here.  
And when we're all together,  
There's nothing to fear..~  
  
A month after that, the whole group of Scoobies, Spike included, were at the Summers home for Thanksgiving dinner. Joyce, Buffy, Dawn, and Willow were in the kitchen. Spike would've prefered that he be included in the cooking, but Joyce had insisted that he stay in the living room with the boys. It was a Summers family tradition for the girls to cook. So, that's how Spike wound up watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Giles and Xander.  
  
"Ooh! Look! The Budweiser Clydesdales!", Xander said excitedly.  
  
Giles chuckled. "Really, Xander. You're worse than Dawn."  
  
Spike sighed from his spot on the couch. "Is there anything else on? Anything at all?"  
  
Giles shook his head. "No. Not really. And you know that Buffy would kill us if we changed the channel, anyway."  
  
"Yeah," Xander said. "No messing with Summers traditions. Trust me. Last year, I tried to change the channel when Rudolph was on, and both Buffy *and* Dawn attacked me."  
  
Spike shook his head. "They can be ruthless."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
Several hours and one huge meal later, everyone was spread out around the living room. Resting with bellies full of turkey, stuffing, and various other foods, and watching what was left of a football game. Well, the members of the group that were still awake were watching. Everyone else was asleep. By the time that the game was over, the whole group was sound asleep.   
  
To Spike's suprise, at dinner, Giles had stood up and proposed a toast. To old and new friends, and special occasions. Like anniversaries. Spike had thought that everyone had forgotten, that no one would remember that Thanksgiving had been the day that he'd come to live with them, and set on the road to becoming one of the group. An official Scooby. He'd been wrong about them not remembering. And, according to everyone present at the dinner that night, he had officially gained 'Scooby' status. Buffy made a big show of presenting him with a Scooby-Doo keychain, identical to the ones that everyone else already had.   
  
"Welcome to the Scoobies, Spike."  
  
============================================================================================  
  
Two weeks before Christmas, and Buffy was panicked. She hadn't done ANY of her shopping! None of it! Not one present! And now she and Spike were walking around the mall (him under protest) after agreeing to meet Xander and Willow in the food court in three hours. She glanced at her boyfriend. "So.. any ideas what you're getting everyone?"  
  
Spike cocked his head. "Well, I was thinking of getting Red a copy of that new Dean Koontz novel she was lookin' at the other day. Rupert, I'm giving him an antique sword that I've been holding on to for years. I already got Joyce and Bit's gifts. And yours," he said with a grin.  
  
"Ooh! Gimme a hint?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
She pouted. "Not even a little, teeny tiny hint?"  
  
He chuckled. "No. Well.. I'll just tell you that you'll like it. But that's it."  
  
She 'humph'ed. "Fine. Then I won't give you a hint either."  
  
"You haven't gotten anything yet!"  
  
"Well, when I do, I'm not telling you."  
  
The went around the mall for the next three hours, and by the time they met the others, all were secure in their purchases. This was gonna be the best Christmas, ever.  
  
==============================================================================================  
  
~And wherever I wander,  
The one thing I've learned.  
It's to here I will always,  
Always,  
Return.~  
  
Sounds of happy laughter and ripping paper rung through the Summers living room that Christmas morning. Dawn was the first to open her gifts. A new book from her favorite book series from Giles. A sweater from Willow. A couple of CDs from Xander. A copy of Beauty And The Beast (her old one had worn out), and a couple of new outfits from Joyce. A stuffed dolphin to add to her collection from Buffy, along with yet another CD. And finally, a giant stuffed Rhino (her favorite animal) from Spike. How he'd gotten that thing into the house, let alone wrapped and under the tree without anyone noticing, no one knew.  
  
Willow went next, then Xander, Giles and Joyce, and the Buffy. She opened the three packages from her mom first. Two new outfits, three new movies, and a gift card from The Gap. Teenager heaven. Next, she opened the two packages from Giles. Ooh! A new crossbow! Count on her Watcher to be practical as well as sentimental. And the other package was a beautiful locket with a picture of Joyce on one side, and Dawn on the other. Giles told her it was to help keep family close to her heart. Willow and Xander had both chipped in to get Buffy a brand new chest for her room, since the other one had been destroyed in a rather unfortunate 'accident' earlier that month. Finally, she opened Spike's gift.  
  
"Oh..", she said, her eyes getting wide. She pulled the jacket out of the box and held it up for everyone to see. A leather duster, in her size, identical to his except for the red velvet that lined the interior of hers. "Spike.. It's beautiful.."  
  
The vampire shrugged a little, rather uncomfortable now that everyone's attention was on him. "I just thought.. You're always borrowin' mine, so this way you won't have to anymore." Chewed his lip for a moment. "Did you see what's in the pocket?"  
  
Buffy turned the jacket around. "Pocket?"  
  
"The interior pocket."  
  
"Oh." She flipped the duster slightly inside out, and gasped as she pulled a beautifully carved stake from the pocket. It was longer than her normal, throw away ones, and it was customized. At the top of it, there was a design that represented a solar eclipse. The union of night and day. Her name had been carved into the sun side, and Spike's into the moon side. Below it, there was a small metal plate that had the words 'Love Is Forever' engraved into it. "Spike.. I don't.. I don't know what to say.. It's wonderful. No one's ever done anything like this for me." She leaned across the couch and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I love it. I love you. Thank you, Spike."  
  
If it had been possible, the vampire would've blushed. "Yeah, well.. I felt bad about you losin' Mr. Pointy, and just thought-"  
  
"This is better than Mr. Pointy, Spike." She smiled at him, and he fidgeted uncomfortably as the others exchanged grins.   
  
Dawn shoved the remaining packages toward him. "These're yours, Spike. It's your turn to open."  
  
Spike looked at the little pile of gifts. "What?"  
  
Buffy looked at him and laughed. "Let me give you a hint. You take your hands, and use them to remove the paper, then hold up what someone gave you and smile. Got it?"  
  
Spike shook his head. "You all got me stuff?"  
  
Joyce moved to sit on Spike's other side and patted his back gently. "You're a part of the family, William. Of course we got you presents."  
  
There was a chorus of nods and 'yeah's all around the room. Then Xander spoke up. "Come on, Spike. You're supposed to open them on Christmas, not wait until New Years."  
  
With one last disbelieving glance around the room, Spike picked up a small package. The tag identified it as being from Willow. He started to open it carefully, trying not to rip the paper, but then he began to get excited as the reality of what was happening hit him, and the paper came off in shreds. Willow had gotten him an original copy of Alice In Wonderland. As in, the actual book. Spike held the old volume and looked to Willow. "It's.. It's my favorite book. How did you know?"  
  
Willow chewed her lip and shrugged. "You quoted it once. A few months ago. And Buffy told me that you don't have much of your own stuff down in the basement, so I thought I'd add to your library. I'm glad you like it."  
  
The next gift was from Giles. A collection of song books, old and new. "Rupert.. Thank you.. How..?"  
  
The Watcher smiled. "Buffy told me you had Dawn's old keyboard in your room. I thought you might like to have something to play on it."  
  
Spike grinned, and set the song books on top of the copy of Alice In Wonderland, then reached for the next gift. From Xander. He cocked his head at the boy. "Nothing's gonna jump out of here and stake me, right, Harris?"  
  
Xander laughed. "Aw, come on, man. Don't you trust me?"  
  
Spike chuckled and ripped the paper. Grinned at the contents of the package. Held it up. "Xander has seen fit to give me a very interesting educational film." It was Interview With The Vampire. Everyone laughed.  
  
Dawn had gotten him a small portable CD player. "So you won't bug me for mine anymore," she joked as he opened the package.   
  
Joyce gave Spike several shirts. Colored shirts. Colors besides red, black, and white. One dark blue, one deep purple, and one a light blue that would bring out his eyes when he wore it. He hugged her in thanks, then turned to open his final gift. From Buffy.  
  
The Slayer fidgeted in her seat. "It's not as.. expensive and stuff as what you got me. I hope you like it."  
  
Spike smiled at her, and opened the package. A brand new, leather bound notebook, with the name 'William "Spike" Edwards Jr.' in gold leaf on the cover. He picked it up slowly, reverently. Looked to Buffy with wide, and slightly watery eyes. "Luv.. I love it. How did you ever find something like this?"  
  
She shrugged. "The specialty stationary shop at the mall. It came in like three days ago. Barely had enough time to wrap it before today, with everything else, you know." Looked at him shyly. "It's for poetry. Or songs, or anything you want to write. I think it's alot better than those old ratty notebooks of ours that you've been using."  
  
He'd found a stash of Buffy and Dawn's old schoolwork in the basement, and with Joyce's permission (provided that he saved everything he tore out) had been using the blank pages at the back for his compositions. Now, he had something much better. "Buffy.. I don't know what to say. No one's ever done anything like this for me before. Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
============================================================================================  
  
That night, as Spike stretched out on his bed, in his room, for he no longer thought of it as 'Buffy's basement', with his gifts carefully arranged within easy reach, he realized something. Home wasn't just where you are. Wasn't just where you exist. Home is people. Home is family. And now, for the first time in over a century, Spike could truly say that he *was* home.  
  
~It's to *you*  
I will always,  
Always,  
Return~  
  
THE END  
=============================================================================================  
  
Author's Notes 2: Yay! Done! Test Subject is officially finished. I may do some editing to remove typos later, but this is the end. Well, tell me what you guys thought!? Please? Now that this is done, I can devote more time to OOT:PP and my second book. Not to mention my collaborations with Tequila Sunrise. We did a one chapter thing the other night, a post ep for Same Time, Same Place, called Midnight Visitor. It's under our joint name Tiger Sunrise. I'd love for some of you to go check it out, if you would. I think I did really good as Crazy!Spike in that one. Well, that's all for now! Hope to see you all around Out Of Time: Pleistocene Panic! Byes!  
  
-Tigerwolf 


End file.
